First Steps
by grayautumnsky13
Summary: A S5 Canon Divergence that explores Regina coming to terms with Baby Hood (Ellie) and accepting her as a part of her Happy Ending. I wrote this awhile back; the chronology is a bit of a mess. The original story is the first 4 chapters; the the next 3 chapters were based on prompts I was sent for this verse; then an flash-forward and a flashback, and then more flash-forwards.
1. Chapter 1: Taking the First Step

It feels much later than it is when Regina returns to the hospital. She's tired and her shoulders feel weighted and there's a dull ache at her temples—it's been quite the day, and she's barely had a moment to breath, a moment to stop and collect her thoughts, a moment to process how she feels. Up until this point, she's only been reacting.

Now, she stands at the end of the hospital corridor, watching through the small window in the door as Robin holds his daughter. A nurse is with them, handing him a bottle, adjusting her arms as she explains, presumably, to Robin how to feed the baby. He's listening diligently, his arms mimicking hers as he adjusts the small girl who's nestled in his arms. He beams with pride as he looks down at her, smiling so deeply that his eyes crinkle at sides. She watches as the baby takes the bottle, her small mouth forming around it as she sucks. From the corner of her eye, she sees Robin's shoulders relax—a small triumph, no doubt; but her eyes remain focused on the little girl–her cheeks are rosy, her dimples pronounced, and her bright blue eyes are locked into Robin's. She looks just like him, Regina finds herself thinking—and already, she's such a Daddy's girl. Regina smiles at the thought.

Regina finds that as she watches them, so content together, her own shoulders begin to relax. She takes a breath before pushing the door open, not wanting to intrude on the sweet moment between father and daughter, but not wanting to position herself as an outsider looking in.

"Looks like you two are enjoying some much-deserved quality time together," Regina says gently as she enters, taking the first step into the room, the first step toward acceptance.

Robin's eyes slowly meet hers, and he nods. "Indeed, we have—but we missed you."

The nurse stands and excuses herself, and Regina moves to the chair she'd been occupying. Leaning in, she peers at the baby girl in Robin's arms and again, she finds herself smiling. Regina can feel Robin's eyes watching her. She reaches out, tentatively running her two fingers over the bottom girl's tiny socked foot. "She's absolutely perfect," she breathes, finding it difficult to look away from the baby.

"She's got a clean bill of health, too," Robin reports. "She's been poked and prodded and scanned, and everything's just as it should be." Regina looks up. "The doctors were worried that, perhaps, because of the way things progressed so quickly, something might not be fully developed or caused some sort of issue, but, everything checked out just fine."

"That's such a relief," Regina says, watching as he sets down the bottle and slowly turns the child upward, laying her against his shoulder. Again, Regina smiles, as Robin's palm presses into the baby's back, covering it almost entirely, as he gently tries to burp her. "And you are looking like quite the baby expert."

Robin laughs softly at the comment, "Funny that you say that because I've spent the last several hours wondering how Roland survived infancy."

Regina laughs, too; and for a moment, she realizes, she's forgotten—she forgotten about Emma and Hook, forgotten about what happened in Camelot, forgotten about Zelena's escape. The things that occupied the forefront of her mind just minutes before, things that demanded so much of her focus, somehow, at least in this moment, seem so much less important to her.

She takes a breath and sits back in the chair. "Zelena…escaped." Robin's eyes dart to meet hers; and instantly, his jaw tenses and his grip on the baby tightens. "Emma was going to kill her, so that idiot pirate cut off the cuff."

"So, Zelena's just…out there…with her magic," he says, his eyes meeting hers as his jaw tenses.

"I thought she might have come here, but…"

Robin shakes his head, and closes his eyes as he grimaces; the expression on his face is heartbreaking. "No," he confirms. "She hasn't been here since Emma vanished with her."

She reaches out, touching her hand to his knee and wanting nothing more than take away his pain and undo all of the terrible things Zelena's done in her name. Her hand slides up his knee. "Robin, I promise you—Zelena is not going to get her hands on your daughter. She's not going to hurt you or her, or any of us anymore. Magic or not, she won't hurt us."

"You can't know that," he tells her, his voice suddenly hoarse.

"Oh, I'm not saying that she won't try. But if she does, she's going to have to go through me first." Robin's eyes shift to meet hers, and even she is struck by the ferocity in her voice. "Because if she thinks that she's going to be able to exploit this sweet girl to cause more pain, just because she gave birth to her, she's sorely mistaken." Regina shakes her head, "I won't let Zelena use her like that."

He moves his hand to cover hers. "Thank you, Regina."

"You don't have to thank me," she says easily. "I grew up with a manipulative mother who used me at every chance she got…and…your daughter deserves better than that."

He starts to respond, but is interrupted by the gurgling sounds coming from his daughter. Regina eases back her hand and watches as he gently pats the baby's back, watching as he turns his head to look at the little girl against his shoulder, watching as he gently taps her back, rubbing his palm firmly as whispers to her.

She catches herself smiling, watching as he cares for the baby, remembering how she used to watching him interacting with Roland in the Enchanted Forest and remembering how much she loves this side of him—the selflessly devoted father—and remembering how she slowly and secretly fell in love.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, as she shifts the baby to the crook of his arm, glancing up at Regina as he wipes the corners of the baby's mouth.

Regina shakes her head dismissively, quietly noting there's nothing to apologize for, still smiling and still remembering, as she watches him stand and place the girl in the clear, plastic basinet. She watches as he waits, making sure the infant's eyes stay closed as he adjusts the blankets around her, making sure she's safe and secure. She watches his gaze as looks down lovingly at the child, and she feels a small flutter deep within her chest.

With a final glance at the baby, he turns to her, offering his hand. She takes it and he pulls her up and kisses her forehead, then her cheek, and then her lips. He lets his lips hover, and she can feel his warm breath against her lips. Closing her eyes, she stands there, basking in the small moment and in his closeness, releasing a long breath, as he pulls her up against his chest and wraps his arms around her and he head settles against his shoulder.

"Thank you," he murmurs softly in her ear, as he holds her close. She shakes her head, and whispers that there's no need to thank her, but he only replies with more words for gratitude.

She steps back slightly, just enough to look him in the eyes. She smiles as their eyes meet—his blue eyes are soft and tired, mixed with so much emotion that she can't quite decipher how he's feeling. Reaching out, he traces the back of two fingers along her jaw and his thumb gently traces the scar on her lip. "But I do have to thank you, Regina."

"For what?"

"Because you're here," he says simply. "I know this is difficult for you. That this whole situation has been hard, and it's been painful. I thought we'd have more time to…adjust and figure all of this out…"

"None of this is your fault."

Robin nods, "But it's not your fault either. And I would never have faulted you had you walked away."

"I can't do that," she counters, shaking her head and wondering how he could think that would ever be an option for her—how he could ever believe she could turn her back on someone she loves.

"And that's why I'm thanking you," he tells her with a soft sigh. He steps back, and his hand falls down to hers, gently tugging her in the direction of the glider. He sits down and tugs her down onto his lap, and she laughs a little as she settles herself with an arm around his shoulders. "I really thought we'd have time to…discuss all of this," he tells her, almost as though confessing something. "I wanted to discuss it, but every time there was a spare moment, I told myself, it wasn't the time."

"In your defense there haven't been many spare moments to chose from."

"Well," he sighs, "Regardless, it just seemed unfair to take one of those rare moments and use it to discuss something that brought you pain…especially with everything else you have to worry about these days."

"We should have had seven more months to discuss it," she offers in reason, offering him a sad smile as she wonders how long he's wanted to tell her this. He's right—this has been difficult; but, it hasn't just been difficult for her. She's watched as he's struggled to cope and comprehend his situation, struggled with the conflicting emotions, and struggled to put on a brave face and move forward, to support her through Stroybrooke's next and current crisis. "Robin, this hasn't been easy on you, either."

"No," he's quick to admit. "I just wish that…there was more time for us to…" He sighs, shaking his head. "I just wish there was more time for us." He glances away from her, she follows his eyes, watching as they fall on the sleeping infant. "And now, we'll have even less time."

She watches as Robin turns back to her and offers her a sad smile and again, she sees that indecipherable mix of emotions; he's struggling against his own happiness, struggling against the 'how' and the 'why', unable to enjoy it for what it is. Her heart clenches.

"I wish we'd had time to talk," Regina hears herself say. "I wish we'd had time to discuss, and plan, and be honest about what we're feeling." She pauses and waits for his eyes to meet hers, and then she smiles. "I wish that I could have told you that even though I hate everything about this situation—I hate that my sister was able to use you to hurt me, I hate that she manipulated you and Roland, and I hate that she used your love for me against you." She feels her shoulders tensing and for a split second, she wonders if she was wrong to not let Emma kill Zelena. But she pushes the feeling away; this isn't the time or the place to try and sort out her complicated feelings for her sister. Her sister has already intruded enough. "I hate so much about the situation, Robin, but…the thing is…" She shakes her head and feels a smile tug at the corners of her mouth as she glances to the baby sleeping beside them. "I don't hate her. In fact, now that she's here, I'm realizing that it's quite the opposite."

She looks back at Robin to find his eyes looking intently at her.

"Up until tonight, I didn't know how I felt about her. It was hard for me to separate her from Zelena, from the situation." Reaching out, Regina rubs presses her fingers over his stubly cheek, in an attempt to comfort him, in an attempt to reassure him. "But I really did mean what I said earlier—you having a daughter, it really is wonderful." She pauses and again feels a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, "And I think it's going to be wonderful for us."

Robin smiles and she feels his shoulders relax. "You know, whenever I thought about another a child, I wanted it be a girl." He shakes his head, "I just thought it'd be nice—since we both have sons." Regina smiles, too; then watches as Robin's smile fades. "I hate that Zelena took that away from us."

"Zelena didn't take that away from us," she replies, feeling her breath catching at the back of her throat, as she looks away from him. "I did."

"Regina…"

"I took that away from us before I knew that you and I were a possibility." She shrugs her shoulders, "I wanted to hurt my mother and I…thought…" She shakes her head as a knot forms in her stomach and tears threaten to fill her eyes. "It doesn't matter why I did it, just that I did it. We can rightfully blame Zelena for a lot of things, but…not that."

She feels his arms tighten around her and she feels his lips press against her hair in an effort to console her. She closes her eyes and focuses on breathing in and out, and keeping her tears at bay. "Regina, I didn't mean…"

Opening her eyes, she blinks back her tears and looks at him directly, "Does it bother you? When I told you I didn't ask because I didn't want to know. Then, I didn't want to bring it up because, again, I didn't know if I wanted to hear your response." She takes a breath, "But I think I need to."

His eyebrows arch and he looks genuinely surprised by her question, and for a brief moment she wonders if she only imagined that she told him that night in New York. "Regina, you can't possibly think that I…" He stops. "No, it doesn't bother me that you and I will never conceive a child. I didn't mean…" He sighs. "Regina, when I mentioned wanting a daughter with you, I meant that I thought that one day, we might adopt a little girl."

"You…did?" She asks, smiling as she feels a rush of emotion.

"I did," he confirms with a nod and a slow smile. "I thought, maybe in a few years, it was something we could start to think about." Reaching out, he tucks a straying stand of hair back behind her ear. "I didn't think it was a conversation we were quite ready for, but it was something I thought about from time to time, and then…" He sighs. "Then everything happened."

She nods and her smile deepens; and she doesn't admit aloud that she's had those same thoughts about their future. "So, you always saw us together for the long haul," she says instead.

"Always," he replies easily. "One thing I've always been absolutely sure of was my love for you, no matter the circumstance."

Regina feels her cheeks flush and she glances away, her eye catching the little girl, soundly sleeping in the bassinet beside them. And for the first time, she wonders if perhaps Zelena has inadvertently given them everything they've always wanted. She lets her eyes linger for a moment, looking at the sleeping child and letting herself imagine what it would be like if the baby were hers.

Taking a short breath, she looks back at Robin, "So, when did they say you can bring her home?"

"Tomorrow," Robin answers, slowly dragging the word out. "Regina, I don't want to…"

Her eyebrows arch and she turns her whole body toward him, "Robin, if you are about to say you're going to take that tiny, infant back to camp in the woods…"

He laughs out, and again, she finds herself surprised at the certainty and conviction in her voice. "I don't want to impose. Having a baby around isn't…easy."

"I've always assumed that when she was born, she'd live with…us." She pauses and smiles gently, keeping her voice even. "I guess it's just another thing we never really got around to discussing, but we do live together. Since you and Roland came back from New York, we haven't spent a night apart. Roland has a bedroom at my house. Your clothes hang in my closet. Henry sets four spots at the table and we eat dinner as a family." At that, Robin smiles and Regina feels her own grin deepening. "So, regardless of whether or not we've discussed it or made any formal decisions, you and I are living together…and your daughter is more than welcome in my home…our home." She pauses, "The room next to ours is practically empty. We can turn that into a nursery."

Regina watches as Robin grimaces at the mention of a nursery.

"I've spent a very good portion of the evening thinking about all of the things babies require in this world." He shakes his head, "And I haven't even begun to understand what half of them are, let alone start to accumulate them."

"Well, it's a good thing you have me," Regina replies with an easy smile as Robin's eyes meet hers. "With a flick of my wrist, she'll have everything she need. And more." She stops, considering for a moment. "I still have bassinet and a glider from when Henry was a baby that we can put in our room, so we have easy access to her until she's sleeping through the night in her own room, and I'm sure Mary-Margaret will be over with tons of advice on infant care…she won't be able to help herself, and…"

"Thank you," be breathes out. She opens her mouth, ready to remind him that he doesn't have to thank her, but he stops her, touching his fingers to her lips. "Thank you for accepting her."

Regina nods and glances over at the baby, "How could I not? I mean…look at her." She rests her head on Robin's shoulder, glancing up to see him turn to look at the baby. "She looks like you, you know that?"

"You think?"

"Those blue eyes? Those dimples?" Regina asks, as her eyes turn back to the baby, "Absolutely. And she's beautiful."

"Well, I agree with you there. She is beautiful, but I am rather bias."

Regina laughs, "Have you considered what we'll call her?"

She feels Robin nod, "I was considering Eloise."

Regina lifts her head from his shoulder, "Eloise," she says. "That's a beautiful name."

"It was my mother's," Robin tells her. "Everyone called her Ellie when she was a girl."

Regina smiles as she looks at the little, sleeping so peacefully in spite of the chaos she was born into, as she mulls over the name. "I think it fits her. She looks like an Ellie."

"Do you think so?" Robin asks, his voice piquing. "I…wasn't sure."

"I think it's perfect."

Regina rests her head back against Robin's shoulder, and her eyes remain focused on the sleeping baby. She lets him hold her, as she drags her fingers back and forth against the base of his neck, as she finally allows herself to relax; and finally allows herself to dream about what raising this little girl together might be like.


	2. Chapter 2: This Time Around

Regina quietly shuts the door to the small hospital room behind her, smiling as she watches Robin carefully snapping Ellie's onesie back together after a second successful diaper change. He smiles triumphantly as he lifts the infant from the changing table, carefully cradling her head, inspecting her to be sure everything's put back together the way it should be. Regina laughs quietly to herself as she watches him—so loving and so concerned about getting everything right. Once he's convinced, he settles her in the crook of his arm, doing it in one fluid motion, as if he's done it a thousand times, as if natural to him. Regina smiles as she watches, and her eyes trail from Robin to the baby–her pink cheeks are tear-stained and she emits a tiny, muffled cry as though she's trying to decide whether or not she has the energy for another good, long cry or if she'd rather just sleep. Her eyes flutter and she scrunches her nose as Robin soothes her, gently swaying back and forth as he hums a lullaby that she doesn't recognize.

For a brief moment, she envies his confidence.

"Roland is asleep," she reports in a quiet voice, careful that it isn't so abrupt that is scares the nearly sleeping infant. "I think Henry is really enjoying babysitting him tonight."

Robin grins, "Roland adores him."

"I know," Regina says with a small laugh, as she thinks of their boys, and how much they've come to love one another. The thought brings a smile to her lips as she smoothes the fabric of her dress and joins Robin and Ellie. "They made grilled cheese for dinner and there may or may not be chocolate sauce on the rug in front of the sink because they made banana splits for dessert, and Henry mentioned things got 'messy'." Regina takes a breath—with everything that's happened over the course of the day, chocolate sauce on a rug, shouldn't bother her; yet it does— and Robin smirks—amused by her annoyance over the chocolate sauce. "Then, it was bath-time and story-time," she continues, as she peers over Robin's arm at Ellie, whose muffled cries have grown fainter and whose eyelids are growing heavier, as she struggles to stay awake. "And aside from the chocolate sauce, everything seems to have gone smoothly."

"Did you tell him about the baby?"

"I did." Regina says with a nod as she looks up at Robin, "I think he's more excited that it's happened, than he is confused about why it's happened so soon." She pauses, and again smiles down at the baby whose blue eyes are fluttering open and closed. "He loves having Roland around; he loves visiting Neal, and I think, in spite of everything, he's really looking forward to having a baby in the house."

"You've raised an incredible young man."

"Henry is absolutely a testament of everything I've ever done that's good or right," Regina replies, her smile deepening with pride. Slowly, she reaches out, adjusting the blanket around Ellie, tucking the pink fabric gently around her. Robin watches as her hands move tentatively and gently, and he smiles as Ellie's small hand reaches up and grabs onto Regina's finger.

Regina's breath catches at the back of her throat and she freezes in place. She feels a rush of emotion that she can't quite sort out, as her heartbeat quickens and warm tears flood her eyes. Her jaw tightens, and she refuses to let the tears fall. It occurs to her that she could look away, that she could peel her eyes from the sweet girl holding onto her, but she finds even that small movement impossible. So instead, she closes her eyes and focuses on keeping her breath steady as her heart clenches and her stomach twists into knots, and the emotions swirl within her. She can feel Robin's eyes on her, and she can hear his voice speaking to her, but she can't make out his words; all she can hear is the loud drum-like beat of her heart.

Finally, Ellie's grip loosens; she's fallen asleep, Regina realizes, as she slowly pulls back her hand.

"Regina…" She looks up to see Robin's soft blue eyes staring directly at her. "Are you okay?"

She nods, though she's not entirely positive that she is. "I just…I didn't expect to…feel…"

She closes her eyes and takes a breath, and when she opens them, she sees Robin setting the baby in the plastic bassinet. He settles her, hovering a moment to assure that she's really asleep, then reaches for the hospital-issued white blanket that sits on the glider. Wordlessly, he reaches for Regina's hand and leads her to the small couch that's opposite the basinet and glider. Robin sits, pulling her down beside him and folding his arm around her shoulders.

She looks over at him, smiling both apologetically and gratefully, as he pulls the blanket over their laps. With his foot he drags the chair over so that it's in front of them, and props up his feet. Slowly, Regina does the same.

"I'm sorry," Regina says quietly, in a voice so soft that it's barely audible.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"For….the way I…reacted," she stammers, breathing in and out slowly as she tries to loosen the knot that formed at her core. "When Ellie grabbed my finger, I…just…" She stops, and the knot tightens and her eyes fall away from his. "I don't know what happened. I just…froze."

"It's okay," he replies easily, as he rests his head atop hers. "You're not ready. It's okay not to be ready."

She doesn't respond. She knows he's only trying to comfort her, only trying to understand, but his words only succeed in making the knot grow tighter and making her heart beat faster. She feels Robin kiss her temple before pulling her closer, and almost instinctively, she nestles into his side, drawing comfort from his embrace.

"I thought I was. I thought I'd worked out all of my feelings," she murmurs after a few minutes. "I thought I was okay with…" She sighs, "I thought I was okay."

"It's going to be a process," he murmurs. "This is all so…new." He rubs his hand back and forth over her arm. "But I know you, Regina. And I know your heart and your capacity to love." Again he drops a comforting kiss against her hair. "And you and I know better than most, timing is everything. Things happen when they're supposed to happen, just look at us." He smiles so confidently and so brightly, that she nearly believes him. "So, if you need time—take it, and don't feel guilty about it because, in the end, it'll all work out the way it should."

Regina lifts her head, and she thinks of their missed chance, the chance she'd been too afraid to take all those years ago in the Enchanted Forest, and how amazed she'd been when a second chance presented itself and how that time, she hadn't been afraid. She smiles gently at the thought, smiling that he'd use it to comfort her.

"But she's your daughter, and I…"

"And you are here, and you're being supportive and you're trying, and that means the world to me, Regina," he interjects softly, as his fingers continue to trail lightly up and down her arm. "Please don't beat yourself up for feeling the way that you do, or not feeling the way you think you should, or…" he sighs, "…or the way you think I expect you to feel."

Closing her eyes, she inhales a sharp breath, comforted by his soft voice and gentle eyes, comforted by his touch and his nearness. She breathes carefully and deliberately, and she thinks of a tiny girl, so innocent and pure, a blank slate possessing so much potential and hope, soundly sleeping just a few feet away and she thinks of how much she wants to love her.

She feels Robin's arm tighten around her and she wonders how it's possible, that after everything she's done, he's able to look at her the way he does, always see the good and never seeing the terrible; and she wonders, after everything she's done, how she deserves him and the wonderful life they're building together.

"Let's talk about something else," he suggests.

She nods and opens her eyes; they immediately fall on the basinet and sleeping infant. She lets them rest there as she watches the little girl sleep, so sweet and peaceful. And she begins to wonder and begins to doubt that the trepidation and fear that crippled her before have anything at all to do with the child.

Again, she pushes the thoughts of inadequacy and fear away. "Tell me about your mother—your daughter's namesake," she says, turning her eyes to Robin. "Tell me about your family."

His eyebrows arch and he chuckles softy, "It's been…a long time since I've thought about those days."

Regina pulls herself up a little and places her hand against his chest, "In all the time we've been together, it's never come up and…I'm curious."

"Alright," he says with a sigh, though a grin is quick to follow it. "Let's see…" She watches as he considers, watching his eyes grow distant as he loses himself in the memories for a moment. "Well," he begins, adjusting his arms around her, so they're both more comfortable, "My mother was born into a noble family from a village that was far away from where I grew up. I never knew where exactly, only that her family didn't approve of my father and when they married, she never returned home or saw her family." He pauses and a soft grin forms on his lips, "She always told us that we— my father and brothers and I—were all the family she needed."

"That's sweet," Regina murmurs, as her fingers lightly rub against the grain of the dark green fabric of his hoodie. "How many brothers do you have?"

"Three," he says easily. "I was the youngest. My brothers were all very close in age, but I was a few years younger than the last," he adds with a slight laugh, "So, as you can imagine, for most of my childhood I was endlessly tortured." He smiles and looks down at Regina, "I used to hide around my mother's skirt and she'd shoo them away, and give me a cup of fresh milk and she'd sing to me…always the same lullaby."

"Is that what you were humming when I came in?"

Robin nods and for a moment, he's quiet— again, lost in the memories—and she waits for him to continue, enjoying the way he's holding her and enjoying the image of Robin as a small boy, clinging to his mother, his protector.

"We lived in cottage in the woods—I loved playing in the woods."

"Some things never change."

Robin laughs out and nods in agreement. "My mother told me that true magic came from the beauty of nature, and I was enamored with that idea," he tells her reflectively. "In the later years of my childhood, after my chores were done, I'd run off into the woods and spend the day there—pretending to be on some grand adventure or that I was some great explorer, completely lost in whatever world I'd imagine—and I'd come home when the sun went down." Regina smile, twirling her finger and she watches a slow grin form on Robin's lips. "And it did feel magical."

"It sounds like it was," she murmurs, her fingers twirling along the zipper of his hoodie.

"We weren't well off, we didn't have a lot, but we were never lacking—and I think it felt that way because of my mother." He smiles nostalgically, still soothingly tracing his finger tips up and down her arm as his smile begins to fade. "And then when I was about Henry's age, she got sick."

"Oh…" She inhales sharply at the turn in his story.

"I'd never seen my father so…" He shakes his head, "I don't even know how to describe it." He stops, at a loss for words, and presses herself closer, hugging him a bit tighter. "One night, just before she died, he left. He got on his horse and he told my brothers and I that he knew a way to cure her."

"Did he?" She asks in a small, hopeful voice, though, judging by his tone, she already knows the answer.

"No," he replies quietly. "My father went to my grandparents, my mother's parents, and he begged them for help." He pauses, "Apparently, my grandfather dabbled in magic and my father thought he could cure her." She feels him exhale, emptying his lungs as though the wound on his heart were fresh, and in that moment, she regrets asking. "They said no. They said she'd sealed her fate when she left them, all those years before." She feels Robin swallow hard and take a breath, and peers up at him, unable to deny the pain in face and the tears glistening in his eyes. "My mother died the night that he returned home. And…it wasn't long afterward that my father died. My grandparents felt guilty about it all, after the fact, and tried to make up for it by showering my brothers and I with gifts. My brothers accepted it, but I never could and then, one day…I just…left." He shakes his head, "And that was that. I never looked back."

Regina feels her heart clench and a lump form at the back of her throat, "Oh, Robin…"

"My brothers said he drank himself to death," he notes, shaking his head. "But I disagreed. I always thought he died of a broken heart." Sitting up, she reaches out, cupping his chin in her palm, gently stroking her fingers against his stubbly cheek in an effort to console him. He clears his throat and smiles through his tears, "I…didn't mean for this story to…go there."

"Maybe it needed to," she tells him gently, as her fingers hold around his hand. "Sometimes, we need to let ourselves remember painful memories; they help us to appreciate the happier ones."

"Maybe…" she replies, her thoughts trailing back the surge of emotion she felt when Ellie grabbed hold of her finger.

Her fingers rub across the back of his hand, and she can't help but think how much his story explains about him, how those early experiences influenced the man he eventually became. Her thoughts drift to Henry and Roland and then to Eloise and the adults they'll grow up to be; and then, she thinks of the day she rescued Snow. The memory startles her, and she's glad when Robin's voice interrupts it.

"My tattoo," he begin as he turns his hand over so that her hand holds his wrist, "It's the one thing I allowed my grandfather to give me, the one thing I accepted from him." Regina's brow furrows as she listens. "His family crest, my mother's family crest."

"Why would you get the crest of a family you…hated?" Regina asks, tilting her head and eyeing him curiously as a slow smile forms on his lips.

He smiles, "When I was little and when my brothers would pick on me, my mother would give me her handkerchief to wipe away my tears. She had a set of them and they were all embroidered with this crest." Regina feels a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "And when I was about Roland's age this happened so frequently, she gave me one of the handkerchiefs to keep—which I insisted that I didn't need because I knew that my brothers would tease me relentlessly if they knew—and my mother told me that she wasn't giving it to me because I was always crying, it was because one day it would bring me love, that one day I would go off on a real adventure and I would save some damsel in distress and I could give it to her to dry her tears."

"That's sweet."

"I told her that she could have, at the very least, come up with a better lie to tell me." Regina laughs out and Robin smiles, as he takes her hand and lifts it to his lips, placing a feathery kiss against her skin. "Perhaps, it wasn't a complete lie." Regina's eyebrow arches. "While you are certainly no damsel in distress, the crest on that handkerchief did bring me love."

Regina's cheeks flush and she can't help but smile, as Robin leans toward her. Sitting up, he brushes his lips over hers softly, yet teasingly; and just as she catches his bottom lip between hers, a tiny, high-pitched scream cuts through the silence and ends their moment.

"I'll get her," she hears herself say; her heart skipping a beat and her stomach fluttering with uncertainty as she hears her own words.

"Are you sure?"

Slowly, she nods, refusing to go back on her word and wanting to prove herself wrong. "Y-yeah, I'm sure."

She gets up and walks to the crying infant, taking a long, deep breath as she remembers what Robin said about painful memories. She feels Robin hovering close behind her, watching her movements as she reached down, she gathers the pink blanket, her fingers hesitating for a mere second, before carefully lifting the girl from the clear plastic basinet.

She exhales a breath, feeling her chest constricting as she looks down at the pink-face, screaming baby. "Oh, Ellie," she breathes, as she feels another sensation deep within her chest. "There's no reason to be scared." She shifts the baby into the crook of her arm, tucking the blanket around her tiny form. "We're right here." Finally settled, she bounces her gently, letting her fingers touch her soft skin of the little girl's hand, rubbing her index gently up and down the length of her fingers. Regina feels Robin's hand press into her back as he comes up behind her, wrapping his arm loosely around her waist as he peers down at her daughter nestled safely in her arms.

Regina focuses on breathing in and out as Ellie's cries become quieter. As she holds the baby, her heart still races and the knot in her stomach is tight, but there's also a fluttering in her heart and warmth in her soul that the ease her tension and soothe her fears. Her breath catches at the back of her throat as Ellie, once again, wraps her tiny fingers around her index finger. She holds on tightly and her cries reduce to mere huffs, and this time, Regina finds that she's not crippled with fear; instead, she finds herself smiling through warm teary eyes.

"It was never about her," she says, leaning back into Robin, as she looks down at Ellie. "The last time I was the step-mother to a little girl, I…I wasn't very good at it." She scoffs at her own understatement, as thinks of way her heartbreak festered into hatred for a child who idolized her, how intentionally cruel she'd been, and she put up her barricades and hid behind them, never letting in a child who, she now realizes, could have pulled her from her isolation and saved her from the loneliness that consumed her. "I promise you, I'm going to do it better this time around," she murmurs to the little girl, whose blue eyes seem to stare directly into her soul.

Regina smiles and her shoulders relax as the knot in her stomach loosens, unclenching as her heart fills with warmth.


	3. Chapter 3: Love Is Limitless

"What's her name?" Henry asks, as he peers into the carrier and pushes away the layers of pink blankets that surround the newborn baby.

"Eloise," Robin says, a smile immediately forming on his lips, "But we'll call her Ellie for short."

"That's pretty," Henry says, smiling in approval as he looks back at the baby. "Ellie is a cute nickname, too. It fits her." Regina smiles, her heart warming, as she hovers just behind them, watching as Henry reaches out and rubs his index finger against the flowered fabric of Ellie's onesie. "So…what…um…what is she to me?" Henry asks, awkwardly looking between Robin and Regina.

"Oh…" Robin breathes, looking over his shoulder at Regina, "I hadn't…"

"She's your sister," Regina interjects, her voice soft yet decided, as she places a hand on Robin's arm, watching the smile that stretches across his lips as he looks back at her.

For all her reluctance, for all her mixed feelings, for all her self-doubt and uneasiness, she can't deny that it took only a few mere hours for the little girl to completely steal her heart. It's amazing to her how quickly it happened, how quickly she found herself falling for this tiny, blue-eyed girl. She and Robin had spent the whole night at the hospital with her, taking turns caring for her—picking her up when she'd cry, feeding her and changing her, cuddling her close as they drifted in and out of sleep, talking and planning and dreaming about what the future would hold for her.

At one point in the night, Robin had drifted off momentarily with Ellie tucked in the crook of his arm and his other arm draped loosely over Regina's shoulders. Her own eyes had been heavy, but she wasn't interested in sleep. Her mind kept turning over the events of the past months and, she found it nearly impossible to remember the place she'd been just weeks ago, when she'd contemplated writing Zelena—and by extension, this baby—out of their story; because now, she can't imagine their story without her.

"Cool," Henry says, an easy reply that's accompanied by a grin, as he looked back at Ellie and leans in a little. "Hi, Ellie. I'm Henry. I'm your big brother," he hums, as he rubs his fingers over her tiny hand, laughing as she grabs onto it—a movement that seems to be becoming her go-to sign of affection. "Welcome home."

"Roland, do you want to come meet your sister?" Robin says, smiling from Henry to Roland, who is still seated at the table, dragging his spoon through a half-eaten bowl of Cheerios as he watches Henry play with Ellie. "Come on, I'll lift you up so you can properly see her." Regina watches as Roland hesitates, slowly sliding from his chair. He takes the time to push in his chair, causing Robin to look back at her with slightly worried eyes. He walks slowly around the table, mustering an enthused smile as Robin lifts him. "See? That's your baby sister."

Roland nods meekly and glances back over his shoulder, "I didn't know I was getting a sister."

On the way home, they'd wondered how Roland would react to the sudden addition to their family. They knew Henry was excited about the baby; he'd had a little time to adjust to the idea and was generally easy-going, always willing to accept new people and see the best in every situation. As a boy who'd spent most of his life as an only-child and the youngest around, he was glad to be seen as something other than "the little kid of the family." But they weren't sure how Roland would respond. He didn't remember New York and he was far too young to understand the complicated deception that had resulted in his sister.

But they'd reasoned that Roland grew up in a world of magic; magic was commonplace in his life, commonplace in their household. And he was young enough to believe that a stork had sent Ellie to them, or something of that nature.

"Aren't you excited to be a big brother?" Robin asks, tuning Roland in his arms.

Regina watches as Roland casts his eyes downward, everything about his demeanor crumbling, "I…I guess so."

"Are you sure about that?" Robin asks softly, dipping his head down to try and meet Roland's eyes.

Roland looks away from him, avoiding eye contact; but, for an all too brief moment, his eyes meet Regina's and though he looks away from her, it's not before she notices his tears. Her heart clenches as he repeats in a quiet voice, "I just…I didn't know I was even getting a sister."

"Oh, sweetie," Regina begins, stepping closer and reaching toward Roland, wanting to console and reassure him.

But Ellie's cry rings out before she can say anymore, the baby's loud screeching cry cuts though the room, drawing all attention; and, instinctively, both Robin and Regina turn their heads in her direction. Robin sets Roland down and moves toward Henry and Ellie, smiling softly as Henry rubs his fingers over Ellie's socked feet, telling her that there's no reason to be upset.

"No reason other than a wet diaper," Robin suggests, gently reaching in and lifting the screaming infant from her carrier, pressing his hand against the back of her diaper. "Well, that's an easy fix," he says in a soothing voice, as Henry turns immediately reaching for the diaper bag.

Regina takes a step forward, her first instinct is to offer help—she can change the diaper or get a clean one or a change of clothes if that's necessary, but before the words leave her mouth, she realizes that not only Robin and Henry have the diaper-changing-situation under control, Roland has left the room.

Quickly her eyes scan the dining room—Roland's chair is empty, his cereal abandoned. "I think Roland's fairly upset about all of this," she murmurs, leaning in toward Robin.

"I know," he sighs, his eyes full of empathy as he bounces the wailing infant. "After I…"

"You take care of Ellie; I've got Roland," Regina offers quickly dropping a quick kiss on Robin's cheek. "I think this is more my territory, anyway."

She turns toward the stairs, thinking of her own apprehension—how only the night before she was unsure of her feelings, unsure that of her place, unsure that there was room in her heart. And she was an adult, an adult who had a better understanding of the situation, an adult who'd had weeks to adjust. Roland hadn't been afforded that time nor did he have the experience to know that sometimes, the best things in life were the unexpected ones.

"Knock, knock," Regina says in a voice much chipper than necessary as she peers into the room, smiling gently as Roland pushes a Lego police car back and forth on his bed. "Can I come in?" Roland nods, but barely. "Is that the car you and Henry made last night?"

"Uh-huh," he replies, his eyes still fixed on the car. "He said today we could make the fire truck, but…who knows if he'll still want to."

"Why wouldn't he want to?" Regina asks, though she suspects she already knows the answer. "If Henry said he'd help you make the fire truck, he's going to help you make the fire truck."

"What if he wants to play with Ellie instead of me?" Roland asks, his eyes slowly looking up to meet hers.

Regina feels her lungs deflate as Roland's big, brown eyes stare into hers, his worry evident as his jaw begins to tremble. Taking a short breath, she sits down on the edge of the bed beside him, wrapping her arms around him as she pulls him into her lap. "Oh, sweetheart," she sighs. "Do you think that we're going to love Ellie more than we love you?" Dropping a kiss atop his head, she runs her fingers through his hair, sweeping the curly locks away from his face. "Because that is something you never have to worry about."

Titling his head up, he looks at her, "I liked our family the way it was…when it was me and you and daddy and Henry." He looks down, "We didn't need a baby."

Regina cuddles Roland against her, hugging him closer to her chest, "You're right, we didn't need a baby. Our family was pretty great the way it was."

"Yeah," he says in a small voice.

Regina can't help but smile as Roland agrees with himself, and again, kisses the top of his head. "But you know what? Just because something wasn't needed, doesn't mean it can't be wanted or it can't be great, too." She pauses for a minute, "And sometimes, you don't even know you need something…or someone…until you already have them."

Again, he looks up at her and she can see that he doesn't understand, but his eyes are curious and no longer teary; and once more, she can't help but smile.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

"In the Enchanted Forest," he says with a vigorous nod and a slight giggle. "You were wearing a funny dress."

She smirks at the comment. "And you were wearing a cape."

"It was cold out," he adds, nodding in confirmation of his attire.

"It was," Regina agrees. "But you know what I remember most about that day?" Roland shakes his head and looks up at her imploringly. "The thing I remember most was that I hadn't smiled all day. I'd just left Storybrooke and I was missing Henry and I was feeling sad." She pauses, remembering the day and how her heart ached in her chest to the point that it was difficult for her to breathe, so difficult that she no longer wanted to even try. "And then I looked over and I saw this…this little, messy-haired, dimpled boy trudging forward in heavy boots and a cape, looking so determined yet carefree, and…I smiled."

"That was me…"

"That was you. You made me smile." A grin tugs at the corners of Roland's mouth. "And at the time, I had no idea how much you'd make me smile in the coming days and weeks and months. And I had no idea how much I'd love you. At that time, on that day, I never thought I could want a life that was anything other than just me and Henry. But then…there you were, trudging forward with that cute dimpled smile and that little cape."

She pauses, taking a moment to cuddle him closer. "I didn't know it that day," she begins again, "But that was that day that I started to fall in love. That was the last thing I expected to happen, but it happened. And then, slowly but surely, I started to think that maybe, somehow, someday, me and you and your daddy and Henry, maybe the four of us could be a family."

"And we are now," Roland says, smiling up at her.

"We are," she confirms with a nod and a smile, "And you know what? As much as I loved when it was just me and Henry, I loved when it was the four of us even more. You know why?"

Roland shakes his head.

"Because there's more love to go around now. Instead of just having one person to love, I had three." Regina watches a grin stretch across his lips. "Now, imagine if I had said I didn't want that, imagine if I'd said I didn't want to change the way things were." She leans in a little, "I couldn't have known it then, but…I'd be miserable with you."

She kisses his forehead and once more brushes his messy curls off of his forehead, "And you know what else? I think that if you give your sister a chance, you're going to realize the same thing I did—that you can never have too many people to love."

Roland looks down at the Lego car in his lap and takes a breath. His brow is furrowed and she can see that he's considering her words; and she can also see that he doubts them.

Gently reaching out, she tips his chin up and when his eyes meet hers, she smiles warmly. "Because, Roland…love is limitless."

Rubbing her fingers over his cheek, her smile deepens. "We don't get a set number of people we're allowed to love and I think your sister is so lucky to have you as a big brother."

"Why?" He asks, his voice piquing with interest.

"Who else would want to read Goodnight Moon over and over again with her and who else could teach her how to make the perfect ice cream sundae?"

Roland grins, "I do make good sundaes."

"And you can teach her about bike-riding and how to cross the monkey bars at the park and," she picks up the Lego car and holds it up to him, "And how to make cool things out of Legos."

Roland looks at the car for a moment and Regina watches as a small grin forms on his lips, "Those are all things Henry taught me."

Regina nods, "And maybe you could teach Ellie someday. Don't you think that could be fun?" Again, she can see him considering her words, and this time she watches as his grin widens and he nods. "So, what do you think? You want to try meeting your baby sister again?"

He hesitates for a moment, but then he nods, and this time, there's a full smile to go with it.

Leaning in, she kisses his cheek and squeezes him close before standing up and lifting him off the bed with her. "Come on," she says, taking his hand and gently tugging him forward. "Let's go meet your sister."

Together they walk down the stairs to find Robin and Henry, sitting on the living room floor with Ellie on a soft yellow blanket before them. Regina clears her throat, and both turn to face her.

"Roland was hoping to be able to try again," she explains, watching as Robin's smile brightens as he sits up and Henry waves him over. She lets go of Roland's hand and he tentatively takes a few steps forward, gaining speed as he gets closer. She can't help but smile as Robin scoops Roland into his lap, encouraging the small boy to reach out and take the baby's hand. Ellie's small fingers instantly wrap around Roland's and his smile is instant; Henry laughs out and tells Roland that Ellie must like him.

She feels herself exhale a breath she'd hardly realized she was holding. She feels her shoulder relax as she watches them, as she watches her family; and she's a little taken aback by the contentment she feels in that moment. She thinks back to the night before, to the way she felt as she stood in the window watching as Robin held Ellie, how she'd feared that she would be left behind as an outsider looking in; and she thinks of how distant those worries now feel.

Robin turns his head, smiling as he motions for her to join him and the kids on the floor. She hovers for a moment more, smiling as Henry asks Roland if he remembers the Itsy-Bitsy Spider song that he taught him. Regina laughs as she joins them, listening to the boys begin to sing the song to their baby sister—complete with the hand motions— as she settles at Robin's side.

He slides an arm around her waist, pulling her closer as he leans in. His lips hover over hers as a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, he brushes his lips against hers—once, then twice—as his smile deepens, eliciting a smile from her in return. She leans in, but he leans back teasingly as his hand slides up her back, settling just below her shoulder blades and pressing gently, as he draws her in; and then finally, they meet, his tongue separates her lips, and he kisses her deeply. Instinctively, her hand moves to the back of his neck and she feels herself melting into him.

It's not the kiss she expected. She expected a quick peck or something fleeting. And this is the type of kiss that in any other situation would have led to more.  
He pulls back and for a moment, and her lips try to follow, not wanting the kiss to end. She leans in breathlessly, resting her forehead against his as her eyes flutter open to find his eyes already open and waiting. He smiles at her— a crooked, somewhat mischievous smile that tells her he's sorry it had to end there. And she's sorry, too. She grins slyly, suggesting without words that perhaps it can continue later on.

Besides, there's another moment she's not quite yet ready to give up.  
She leans in and quickly pecks his lips once more before settling her head against his shoulder, turning her attention back to Henry and Roland who are singing another round of the Itsy-Bitsy Spider, their hands dancing above Ellie as her bright blue eyes watch her brothers' movements with wonder.

She feels Robin's head rest atop hers and she smiles contently, thinking to herself that this new, unexpected chapter of her life just may be her favorite.


	4. Chapter 4: Something Beautiful

Regina leans against the nursery door and smiles over the rim her coffee mug, watching as Robin brushes Ellie's strawberry blonde hair into a ponytail. She takes a sip of the coffee to stifle a giggle as Ellie squirms on the changing table, squealing as her favorite stuffed yellow duck catches her eye. She spreads her fingers, wiggling them as she reaches for the duck, laughing triumphantly as she grasps the duck's bill and pulls it into her lap as she flops over into the other direction. Robin sighs as the wispy locks slip through his fingers. Ellie hugs the duck close, laughing out as she rolls onto her back; and Regina watches as a smile creeps across Robin's lips as he scoops her up and kisses her dimpled cheek, before sitting her back down on the changing table to try again—and she wonders how many times he's been through this this morning.

"Do you need some help?" Regina asks as she steps into the sunny yellow room.

"No," Robin insists, his voice adamant as she glances back at her over his shoulder. "I can do this." Regina can't help but laugh as Robin inhales a deep breath and picks up the hairbrush. "I can do my daughter's hair."

"If you insist," Regina says, once more taking a sip of her coffee in an effort to stifle a laugh, watching as Ellie reaches for the hairbrush, her chubby fingers reaching for the soft bristles, giggling as they tickle her skin. With a sigh, Robin's head tilts back and slowly, he turns to look at Regina. For a moment, she holds his gaze, smiling in satisfaction as his eyes admit what his voice will not.

She sets the mug down and holds out her hands, smiling warmly as Ellie's face brightens at the sight of her. "Good morning, Princess," she coos as she pulls the girl into her arms and kisses both of her cheeks before shifting her eyes up to meet Robin's. His eyes are soft as he watches her, watching as she cuddles their thirteen-month old daughter who has suddenly become interested her mother's jewelry. Regina clears her throat, snapping him from his gaze as she nods toward the distracted baby—and finally, he's able to twist the strawberry blonde locks into two little ponytails that vaguely resemble little antennas.

Robin leans forward and drops a soft kiss on her lips. "Thank you—and good morning."

"Good morning," she replies as she turns Ellie onto her hip and immediately the small girl stretches herself out, her fingers grasping at the air in an attempt to reach the duck that's too far away to grasp. "Why don't you let me finish getting her dressed—there's a cup of coffee waiting for you on the kitchen counter." Leaning up onto her toes, she drops a quick kiss on his cheek. "I saved you an apple turnover, too."

He smiles warmly, nuzzling his cheek against hers. "You're too good to me."

She pulls back, grinning as she rubs her hand over his arm. "You'd better hurry. Henry and Roland were both milling around in the kitchen, drooling over that last turnover—and you know those two have no self-control when it comes to baked goods."

"Well, they are growing boys," Robin says, chuckling softly as he kisses Ellie's chubby cheek and reaches for her stuffed duck. He taps its bill against the top of her head, causing her blue eyes to grow wide as her chubby fingers grasp around the duck and pull it close.

Regina laughs as she watches him go—his shoulders relaxed and a content smile stretched over his lips. They're happy—together, as a family—happy with the life they've chosen for themselves. They've spent the last year settling into that life—a life of middle-of-the-night feedings and early morning coffee, of love notes scribbled on napkins, of family dinners, Algebra homework and bedtime stories. With three kids, their life is a busy one —an odd mix of organized chaos and mired routines—it's so unlike anything she ever imagined for herself and everything she didn't know that she'd been waiting for.

She looks back at Ellie and the stuffed duck that's tucked tightly underneath her arm and she watches as the little girl's fingers twist around one of the buttons of her shirt. She brushes the back of her fingers over her cheeks, unable to stop the smile tugs at the corners of her mouth when Ellie giggles at the touch, turning her big, blue eyes upward before she drops her head onto her mother's shoulder and snuggles closer. Regina presses her palm against her back, holding her close as she sways back and forth.

Sometimes, she's still taken aback by how fiercely she loves this little girl, how quickly she fell in love with her and how difficult it is for her to imagine a life without her. On most days, the fact that Ellie is not her biological child isn't even a thought that enters her mind. On most days, she doesn't think of the complicated circumstances that brought her into their lives and she doesn't think of the pain her conception caused; because, on most days, when she looks at her little girl, with her sweet, dimpled smile and her bright blue eyes, the only thing she can think of is how very lucky she is to have the opportunity to be a part of her life, how lucky she is to love her—the rest simply doesn't matter. However, every other Saturday, she can't help but remember—and this is one of those Saturdays.

On those Saturdays she and Robin take Ellie to see Zelena. They always meet her somewhere neutral—usually Granny's or the park—and they never stay for very long. But the visits are enough for Ellie to have the chance to know her birthmother, just long enough for Robin and Regina to be able to say that they're trying to include her, just long enough to keep the peace, and just long enough to tug at her heartstrings and make her question whether or not there was another option.

Of course, the visits had been mostly Regina's idea and after several long, tense discussions, Robin had agreed on the account that it was what was best for Ellie, that it should be Ellie's decision whether or not her birthmother would have a place in her life and what that place would be. But, for Regina, it was a little more complex than that. Her motivation stemmed from her own complicated relationship with her mother and her own twisted relationship with Zelena. Growing up Regina was accustomed to feeling inadequate, never feeling as if she were enough and always left to wonder why. Those feelings of inadequacy had persisted into adulthood, coloring her relationships with doubt and insecurity; and she knows the same is true for Zelena—a family trait imparted to them from their mother—a trait she's determined will end with them, a trait that will not be passed onto the precious girl she loves so very much. And then there was her botched handling of Henry finding out about his adoption that sent their happy lives into a whirlwind of confusion and distrust. So, every other Saturday she makes the sacrifice and holds her breath, hoping that it doesn't backfire.

Regina dresses Ellie quickly, choosing for her a navy and white polka-dot dress, then carries her downstairs where Robin stands at the sink, washing out cereal bowls as the boys finish their orange juice. At the first sight of her brothers, Ellie begins to wiggle, babbling excitedly as she tries to break free from Regina's hold; and as soon as her feet hit the floor, she's toddling forward at full speed, crashing into Henry's legs as she attempts to climb into his lap.

Regina shakes her head, laughing gently as she turns to Robin. "You know, the dishwasher will do all of that for you."

Robin's brow arches. "You know I don't trust that thing."

She rolls her eyes and drops a kiss against his cheek before circling around him to refill her coffee cup.

"The diaper bag is all packed," Robin says, smiling through a sigh as Regina tops of his coffee. "We should probably leave soon—the sooner we do, the sooner this will be over with."

"Why can't we come to the park," Roland asks impatiently.

"Yeah," Henry chimes in. "We should to go the park."

"Nice try," Regina says as she turns to Henry and narrows her eyes. "You need to study for your algebra test."

Henry sighs, "Why should Roland suffer because I have a math test?"

"Roland," Robin cuts in, "is just getting over an ear infection. He needs to stay in today, too."

Roland huffs and crosses his arms over. "Can we at least watch cartoons," he asks, shifting between Robin and Regina.

Regina's lips curl into a smile and she nods, reminding Henry to take his notes, and she has to supress a laugh when he rolls his eyes and grumbles, shifting his sister in his arms as she reaches for his backpack and follows Roland into the family room.

"Right now, all I want to do is follow them into the family room and spend the morning watching cartoons with Roland and Ellie, and going over those math notes with Henry." She watches as he sighs, shaking his head as he takes a long sip of his coffee.

She feels a pang of guilt stabbing at her core—she knows how uncomfortable this situation is for him and she knows that he would have been more than content to write Zelena out of their lives. And at times, she wishes they'd have done just that—it would certainly have made their lives easier. She purses her lips, ready to tell him that she'll take Ellie for the visitation, that he can stay with the boys—that someone needs to make sure Henry studies for his Algebra test anyway—but before she can get out the words, he smiles and his entire demeanor changes.

"But, you know, the sooner we get this visit out of the way, the sooner we can focus on…other things."

"What other things?" she asks, arching her eyebrow as her voice piques with interest, watching as he sips his coffee, staring back at her with her with a coy smirk.

He leans against the granite countertop, resting both his elbows against the stone. "I've just…lately, I've been thinking a lot about…us." If it weren't for his blue eyes, sparkling mischievously at her, she might have been worried. But he smiles at her—a smile so full of love that she feels her cheeks flush a little as her own smile pulls at the corners of her mouth. "Do you ever feel like…things between us…moved a little too fast?"

"Oh," she murmurs, her smile fading slightly. "I…"

"Not in a bad way," he's quick to say.

"Then, in what way?" She asks, her voice growing tentative as she watches him take a long sip of his coffee.

But once again, his eyes are smiling at her from over the rim of his mug. "I sometimes regret that I never had the chance to properly court you."

She laughs out in surprise. "Court me?"

"Court you," he repeats. "In all the times we've come back together, in all the times I've been lucky enough to fall in love with you—in the Enchanted Forest, then here in Storybrooke, after New York—I've never been able to sweep you off your feet…"

"I might disagree with that," she interjects, chuckling softly as sips her coffee.

"I'm serious, Regina. We've never really had that." He pauses. "I want to send flowers to your office just to thank you for wonderful evening out, to take you riding beneath the stars and on moonlit walks along the water. I want to take you out for a dinner that doesn't involve one of us having to cut up someone else's food." He shrugs. "That day in the park, the day I told you I chose you, that I wanted to be with you, I thought I'd have the chance. And then when I came back from New York, I thought perhaps I'd have the opportunity then, but…" He shakes his head as his voice trails off. "But we never did."

"No, we didn't, did we?" She says, catching her bottom lip between her teeth.

They'd traded all of that to fight larger than life villains, undoing dark curses and unveiling dark secrets as they worked together to save the souls of Storybrooke from the darkness that threatened them all; and then, when life finally settled down, they had a family to think about—three kids who needed them to be parents. There hadn't been much time for anything else; yet somehow, they've managed their stolen little moments together, to get to better know one another, to settle into their new life and adjust to new routines—in the early mornings when his warm lips replaced her alarm clock, when they'd meet for a quick lunch together at Granny's on a random Tuesday afternoon, or at night when they'd slip beneath the covers and talk until one of them has fallen asleep.

"I don't think we've missed our chance, though," he says very matter-of-factly.

She feels her brow furrow. "Are you saying you…want to date me?"

"And I intend to," he tells her with a nod.

She laughs gently as she feels her cheeks warm. "Robin, we live together. We're raising three children together. We're practically mar…"

He stops her from finishing, smiling brightly as he leans in and kisses her lips—light and airy as he traces his fingers over her jaw. Pulling back he smiles, letting his lips linger over hers for a moment. She starts to lean back in, but this time he steps back, his eyes still smiling. "I'm going to go grab the diaper bag."

The three of them are sitting on an old, raggedy blanket at the edge of the pond. It's a warm fall day and Regina's shoes are kicked to the side as she lays back on her elbows, watching as Robin holds Ellie pointing out the ducks as they paddle around the pond, slowly annunciating the word as Ellie babbles a string syllables in reply. Regina smiles at Ellie's wide eyes and gummy smile, and sweet, high-pitched voice—she's absolutely delighted to watch the ducks, completely unaware that her birthmother is more than a half an hour late.

Regina steals a glance at her watch, sighing quietly as she looks back to Ellie—for the life of her, she'll never understand Zelena. For months, she pressed them to be a part of Ellie's life, yet now given the opportunity, she merely goes through the motions half-heartedly.

And just as she's about to suggest they go, Zelena arrives in a puff of green smoke, spouting off with her usual blustering bravado. Regina slips her hand beneath Robin's, looping her thumb around his and her fingers rub against his wrist when Zelena lifts Ellie into her lap and calls her her little green bean.

"She certainly is a pretty little thing, isn't she?" Zelena coos, not taking her eyes off of Ellie.

"That might be the first thing we've ever agreed upon," Robin replies as his fingers fold around Regina's.

"I think she looks like me," Zelena says in a sing-song voice, as he stands Ellie up on her knees. "Yes, you're just like mommy."

"And that's where the agreement ends," Robin murmurs into Regina's ear. She looks back at Robin and smiles; and when he smiles back, she feels her shoulders relax.

Regina leans back against Robin and takes a breath, her fingers still tracing figure-eight's against his wrist as they watch as Zelena continues to bounce Ellie on her knees. Reaching out, Ellie points at a duck coming up from the pond, laughing and babbling a string of incoherent syllables. Zelena turns and Ellie's foot slips—Regina sits up and she feels Robin stiffen as Zelena catches Ellie, scooping her up and cuddling her as she tells her over and over again that she's okay.

But Ellie's face reddens and scrunches, and she lets out a cry as she reaches out her arms, stretching herself out as her teary blue eyes meet Regina's. Her hand tightens around Robin's as she tries to ignore the pangs of guilt she feels when she doesn't immediately reach for Ellie, but instead allows Zelena to attempt to console her.

"Ma-ma," Ellie calls out, her fingers spread and her arms stretched out as her eyes meet Regina's.

She feels a rush of emotion as her heart skips a beat and her stomach flutters. She's no longer worrying about the pangs of guilt she felt a moment before—the only thing she can think about are Ellie's teary blue eyes and sweet little voice saying 'mama'—and saying it to her.

"What did you say, sweetheart?" Regina asks as she pulls Ellie into her arms, cradling the back of her head as she holds her tightly against her chest. Her eyes brim with tears as she feels Robin's hand against her back, and she turns to find a soft smile painted across his face, and his bright shining eyes looking back at her.

Robin leans in and drops a light kiss atop Ellie's head and she turns her face toward him and smiles.

Ellie's fingers clutch to the fabric of Regina's shirt and she sniffles a few times, and once again she looks up at Regina. "Ma-ma," she says again, this time softer and calmer, but still so sweet and somewhat shy as she tests out the word.

"That's right," Regina murmurs as she looks back at her and brushes her thumbs over Ellie's tear-stained cheeks. "Mama's got you. You're okay."

"Well, well. Isn't this nice?"

Suddenly Regina remembers Zelena's presence and the slight pangs of guilt return as she looks up to see the pained expression on Zelena's face. There's an odd moment of understanding—she knows what Zelena is feeling, she's been in the spot she's in—and she empathizes.

"Zelena, she…"

"I suppose this is it then," Zelena spats as she gets to her feet.

"Zelena, what are you talking about?" Robin sighs in an exasperated voice.

"What am I talking about?" She scoffs. "My…my daughter's made her decision."

"She's thirteen-months old," Robin sighs and rubs her fingers over his forehead. "She can't make decisions."

"You heard her," Zelena replies, her jaw trembling as she folds her arms across her chest and looks indignantly between Robin and Regina . "The two of you have won. You've…"

"Zelena," Regina cuts in. "You're overreacting."

"I couldn't have this one thing, could I?"

And before either Robin or Regina can respond Zelena waves her arms and disappears in a puff of green smoke.

She feels Robins hand on her shoulder and she looks back at him, and once again he's looking at her with soft, kind eyes. "Can we not let Zelena take this moment away from us?"

A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth as she looks from Robin to Ellie, looking down at her as she clutches to the fabric of her of her shirt as studies one of the buttons, completely unaware of the scene that's just unfolded.

Her smile widens as she looks back at Robin. "She said her first word."

"So I heard," he replies, as he hooks his arm loosely around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as he makes a silly face at his daughter.

"She called me mama," she adds, her smile deepening, as she leans back against Robin and the three of them continue to watch the ducks.

Regina stands in front of her closet dressed in her robe. She pulls out a few dresses, examining them carefully before sighing and tossing them onto the bed. A smile etches across her lips as she thinks of Robin coming up behind her after the kids' lunch. He'd been clearing the table and she'd been loading the dishes into the dishwasher pulled her back against him, holding her close as he whispered that he'd made them dinner reservations for that evening—reservations for only two—and he'd already arranged for a babysitter. She'd turned in his arms and linked her hands around his neck and tried to tell him that he didn't have to go to the trouble, but he'd kissed her cheek and told her their reservation was for seven o'clock—and that was all.

"Go with the blue one," Henry says, grinning as he looms in the doorway, a smirk spreading across his face.

She smiles and waves him in and she can't help but chuckle softly as he plops down onto the bed, just like he used to do when he was younger. She smiles at the memory of her little prince, sucking his thumb as he turned his head on the pillows and watched her finishing dressing for the day and making her want nothing more than to change back into her pajamas and spend the morning cuddling with him.

"Did you finish studying?" She asks, bringing herself back into the present moment.

"Yup," Henry replies easily. "I took a practice test and only got one wrong."

Regina smiles, "And now you can enjoy an evening in."

She watches as Henry's eyes roll. "No, now I can write my English paper."

"Well, at least you like English," she suggests with a small, somewhat apologetic smile.

Henry shrugs his shoulders. "At least I have pizza to look forward to."

Regina nods and glances down at the blue dress on the bed, and then slowly her eyes come to meet Henry's. "So, what do you know about this date? I know you know something." Her eyes widen as she watches Henry struggles not to smile. "You do know something."

"I plead the fifth."

"Henry Daniel Mills, it's not fair to keep secrets from your mother."

"It's killing you, isn't it?" Henry laughs. "Not knowing anything about the plans Robin made." She only sighs in response. "I can tell you that if you wear the blue dress, you won't be underdressed."

"So what you're telling me as that we're not going to Granny's."

"I am allowed to tell you that it's not Granny's." Henry grins coyly. "But that's all I'm allowed to tell."

Her mouth falls open and she crosses her arms over her chest. "You're enjoying this."

"I am," Henry confirms with a curt nod. "And you should be enjoying this, too. I think you can give up being in control for a couple of hours."

"Are you saying that I'm controlling?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Henry deadpans. "And I don't think I know anyone who would disagree with that." Regina huffs and her eyes widen, as a smile curls onto Henry's lips. "Hey, you raised me. You can't blame me for my sass."

Shaking her head, she can't help but laugh—there are times when he's definitely his mother's son, times when he reminds her so much of the girl she once was, and in those moments her heart warms.

"Robin told me that Ellie said her first word," Henry says, his tone shifting. Regina looks at her son and smiles softly. "He said that she called you 'mama'."

Her smiles widens and she feels a familiar clenching at her heart as she remembers Ellie's sweet, little voice calling out for her, her hands outstretched as she looked directly into her eyes. In that moment, the world faded away and all she could think about was her little girl—a girl who only wanted her mother's love.

"She did," Regina confirms. "It was very sweet."

"Robin's been coaching her for weeks now. I'm glad she finally did it." Henry grins. "And bonus point to her for saying it in front of Zelena."

Regina's eyes meet Henry's and she sighs. In some ways she can't help but empathize with her sister and remember the way the hurt clouded in her eyes—and then she'd lashed out. It wasn't that long ago that she was in a similar position, an outsider looking in, left to watch as her only child called another woman 'mom.'

"How did she react?"

"Not well," Regina says in a tentative voice as she sits down on the edge of the bed. "And I felt sorry for her—as glad as I was to have that moment with your sister, I felt bad for mine." She pauses for a moment, mulling over her thoughts and wanting to choose her words carefully. "She…felt like Ellie was choosing me over her and she stormed off. She said Robin and I had won, that Ellie had chosen us over her and that was that." Regina smiles sadly, hesitating for a moment as she looks at her son. "As much as I hate to say it, I understand how she felt…and why."

She watches as Henry's brow furrows. "Mom, you shouldn't feel bad. You are Ellie's mom and…" His voice trails off, faltering as he stares at her. "Do you…feel that way when I call Emma my mom?"

"No," she's quick to say, "At least, not anymore." Reaching out, she takes Henry's hand and gives it a soft squeeze. She's touched by his concern, but it's unnecessary and she wants nothing more than for it to disappear. "I like that Emma is a part of your life and I like that the two of you are close." She pauses, smiling reassuringly. "I'm fully aware that your heart is big enough for the both of us."

"And so is Ellie's—and if Zelena can't see that, that's her choice. Don't beat yourself up about it." Henry grins as she rolls off the bed. "You can't control everything."

Regina can't help but smile at the comment and she laughs gently as she watches him go. Her eyes trail to the blue dress on the bed and thoughts drift to the mysterious impending date that Robin's planned for them. Taking a breath, she tries to embrace Henry's advice and embrace the element of surprise—at least for a couple of hours.

Robin's fingers thread through her hair as they stand on the porch and she feels her cheeks flush. She looks up at him, almost shyly, as he leans in and captures her lips in his, kissing her softly beneath the warm glow of the porch light.

Their evening out had began just a few hours before. She'd laughed when the doorbell rang and she opened to find Robin standing there, all dressed up and leaning against door's frame. He'd greeted her with a bouquet of light pink apple blossoms, explaining that he'd gone to the florist with the intention of buying roses, but when he saw the blossoms, they'd reminded him of her and the roses were all but forgotten. She'd smiled, accepting the flowers and wondering if she'd ever told him that when she was a little girl she'd lose herself in her grandfather's orchard, climb up into one of the trees and pick the flowers. Leaning in, he kissed her cheek, smiling sweetly as their fingers curled together and she led him into the house.

After placing the flowers in water and saying their goodbyes to Mary-Margaret and the kids, she'd felt butterflies in her stomach. Her anticipation only built as they went to the restaurant and she'd been relieved to find that it truly wasn't Granny's, and instead a tiny little bistro along that overlooked the water—a restaurant with dimly lit candles on red and white checkered table cloths. She'd mentioned it once, in a passing comment. They'd drank red wine and held hands and talked about the things they never have the time to talk about, and when dinner was over they'd walked together along the pier, talking and laughing; and had he not been holding her hand, she might have floated away.

Her hand slips to the back of his neck, drawing him closer before pulling back to rest her forehead against his. "This was nice. We should do this again."

"I'm glad you feel that way, because that's my plan." He grins. "Make sure to clear your schedule for Friday. And dress casually for this one."

She tips her head and a smile slowly works itself over her lips. "You know, I'm not really one for surprises, but I have to say, I'm enjoying the intrigue of this."

"So, tonight…you really had a good time?"

She nods. "I had a good time."

Robin only smiles in return, leaning in to rekindle the kiss. And just as his lips meet hers, the front door is thrown open and Mary-Margaret's voice cuts through the silence, and ending their moment and bringing them back into reality.

"Oh! I thought I heard voices out here."

Regina groans, turning slowly to face Mary-Margaret. She musters a tight smile as she steps forward, lacing her fingers through Robin's as she tugs him into the house.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Mary-Margaret begins apologetically.

"Then why did you open the door?"

"I told you, I thought I heard someone."

"And you did," Regina murmurs underneath her breath as she glances back at Robin. Clearing her throat, she tries again. "How were the kids?"

Mary-Margaret smiles and starts toward the living room. "They were perfect, just as I expected. Henry's English paper is finished. Roland is tucked in and fast asleep, and Ellie and I have had a lovely evening…when she wasn't crying." Mary-Margaret offers a lopsided grin. "I think she missed you guys."

Regina smiles as Robin lifts Ellie from her bouncer, holding her up over his head and making silly faces at her. Her little laugh rings out and Regina feels her heart flutter as Robin brings her down and holds her against his chest.

"Ma-ma," she says, as her eyes fall on Regina.

"Well, that's new!"

Regina grins as she takes Ellie's hand and kisses it. "It is new," she says, looking back at Mary-Margaret. "She said it for the first time today."

Mary-Margaret sighs as a smile stretches across her lips. "You two have come so far." Regina turns to her, raising her eyebrows, and for a moment, she doesn't understand. "A year ago, you were so unsure, but just look at how much you love her now."

Regina nods, "Loving her was never the real concern." Regina turns her fingers to the back of Ellie's hand, rubbing them over her soft skin. "She's a wonderful addition to our family."

"I still think you should have named her Hope."

Regina fights the urge to roll her eyes as she looks back to Mary-Margaret. "Now I know you're working for the Hope Commission."

"Even if it were just as a middle name," Mary-Margaret teases.

"She's a baby, not a Hallmark card."

"And she already has a middle name," Robin adds in a sing-song voice as he bounces Ellie on his hip, continuing to make silly faces at her. Regina feels her shoulders tense and she holds her breath, and Robin looks between the two women. His brow furrows. "She has Regina's middle name."

Mary-Margaret's grin brightens as she looks to Regina with wide eyes, "In all the years we've been a part of each other's lives, I never knew that you had a middle name. I assumed you were one of those people who just didn't have one."

Regina looks to Robin and he sighs, dropping a kiss atop Ellie's head. "It's well-past her bedtime. I should take her upstairs." He kisses Regina's cheek as he passes, murmuring both his apologies and goodnights.

"What was that about?"

Regina bristles as she watches them ascend the stairs then slowly returns her focus to Mary-Margaret. She softens as she looks into Mary-Margaret's quizzical eyes—remembering the girl she once was and remembering the quiet promise she'd made to Ellie on the night she was born—a promise to do better this time around.

"My middle name—the name I gave my daughter—is Mary," Regina says, shifting uncomfortably as her eyes meet Mary-Margaret's.

For a moment, neither says anything, instead shifting uncomfortably as though rooted in place and incapable of any meaningful movements. The silence that settles between them clamors with unspoken feelings—feelings of love and friendship, heartache and regret, forgiveness and understanding.

Regina watches as a smile twists onto Mary-Margaret's lips and for a split second she doesn't see Mary-Margaret, but instead Snow White, the little girl whom she saved, the little girl who idolized her, the little girl who followed her around with wide hopeful eyes and spouted off desires for happiness and love in a fantastical way that only a ten-year old could. "I like that," she says decidedly.

"Yeah," Regina says with a meek nod, fighting against the tears that threaten to flood her eyes as her lips stretch into a tight smile. "I do, too."

Again, the silence turns awkward as the two women stand together in the living room. To say that their history is a complicated one is an understatement—something they've acknowledged time and time again, a history that seems to always seems reveal new layers.

"Well, I think I'd better go," Mary-Margaret finally says, glancing toward the stairs as she reaches for her jacket. "David and Neal had a boys' night, so I can only imagine that the loft is a complete disaster and at least one of them has a tummy ache." She grins. "And I think someone upstairs will want her mama to tuck her in soon."

Regina can't help the smile that forms. "Thank you—thank your babysitting tonight."

"Anytime," Mary-Margaret says easily, as they make their way into the foyer. "So, I'll see you next Friday…if I don't see you before then."

"Friday?"

"Another date night?" Mary-Margaret grimaces. "I didn't spoil a surprise, did I?"

"No," Regina says, feeling her cheeks flush. "I just…wasn't thinking about that." She pauses. "You know you don't have to…"

"Don't even suggest that I'm somehow going out of my way. Next time I'm bringing Neal so he and Ellie can play and David is taking Henry and Roland to the arcade. It's a done deal." Reaching out Mary-Margaret take Regina's hand and gives it a soft squeeze. "Besides, it's really nice to see you this happy, this in love. You've waited a long time for this. You deserve to enjoy it."

Regina swallows, smiling in return as Mary-Margaret gives her hand one last squeeze before saying goodnight. Slowly exhaling, she turns to the stairs, swallowing the lump that's formed at the back of her throat.

On most days, she doesn't think about the years and years she spent feeling lonely and forgotten—the years she spent yearning for someone to love, yearning for the comfort of family, yearning for a place where she felt at home, a place where she was at peace, and yearning for the fairytale life she'd once dreamed of having. It's not that she's forgotten those years or that she's ungrateful for the life she now has—in fact, it's just the opposite. On most days her past is such a distant memory, never at the forefront of her mind, and it's easy for her to lose herself in the day-to-day happenings of life that she and Robin share; and, it seems that it would be a waste not to live fully in those moments by dwelling on the past. Then, there are days like this one, days she can't help but think about where she started and where she is now, days when the past blends into the presents, days when she's overwhelmed by it all.

Slowly, she climbs the stairs, stopping in Henry's room and smiling gently when she sees him asleep, a comic book open in his hands. She sits at the edge of his bed, closing the comic and pulling the covers up over him—knowing that he's too old to be tucked in, but unable to stop herself from enjoying the rare chance for him to be her little prince again, even if it is just for a couple of minutes. She stands, tucking the blanket loosely around his shoulders. Leaning in, she kisses his forehead, hovering over him for a moment before turning out the light.

She walks down the hall to Roland's room. He's already tucked in, and the nightlight is on, and Roland is sleeping soundly, just as Mary-Margaret said. She can't help but smile at him as he sleeps with one arm over his head and one leg over the top of his blanket as his body forms an almost-S shape. Carefully, she re-adjusts him, bringing down his arm and pulling the blanket over both legs. Reaching out, she brushes his messy curls from his forehead and kisses his cheek and whispers wishes of sweet dreams.

Finally, she makes her way to the nursery where she finds Robin settled in the glider, holding Ellie against his chest. Her head rests against his shoulder and her eyes are tired, drooping and fluttering as she tries to stay awake. He turns at the sound of Regina's footsteps, smiling gently as she comes into the nursery and sits on the arm of the chair. She rests her head atop Robin's as her fingers twist in Ellie's wispy strawberry-blonde locks.

"She's quite tuckered out," Robin says in a near whisper. "But I think Mary-Margaret was right, I think she missed us because she is very cuddly tonight." Regina grins as she looks down at Ellie's hands, clutching to the fabric of Robin's shirt. "Every time I try to put her down in the crib, she screams."

"She's fighting to stay awake," Regina replies, again sweeping her fingers through Ellie's hair. "I don't mind staying up with her if you want to go shower and get ready for bed."

Robin grins as he looks up at Regina. "Not yet. I just want to hold her for a bit." Regina smiles turning toward him and pressing her lips softly against his temple, letting them linger for a moment before she slides her arm around his shoulders and rests her head against his. "I'm sorry about earlier," he murmurs.

"For what?"

"For saying what I did to Mary-Margaret." He pauses, "It didn't occur to me that she didn't know the significance of her name or that you might not want her to know."

"It's…complicated. But everything between everything about our relationship is complicated," Regina admits with a sigh. "But I'm not upset that you told her."

"Still, it wasn't my place to tell her."

"It would have come out eventually. And you didn't actually tell her anything."

"Well, it wasn't my place to allude to anything."

Regina smiles as Ellie reaches out and grabs onto her fingers, squeezing them tightly as she looks up at her with hooded eyes. "Ma-ma," she says, in a barely audible voice as Regina rubs her thumb against the back of Ellie's hand.

"So, Henry told me that you've been coaching her to say that, to call me 'mama.'"

"Well, in all fairness, I've also been trying to get her to say 'da-da.'" He grins, turning to look up at her. "But that one isn't quite sticking yet. I think she thinks means her stuffed duck, too, which is another issue altogether."

"Henry's first word was 'hi.' He used to sound like a little bird chirping at me all time. He'd just say it again and again and again." She feels a grin tug at the corners of her mouth as she remembers the way Henry's little fingers would open and close over his palm as he attempted to wave—and it always made her smile, the way his face would light up and the way his hand moved slower than words, almost like a delayed reaction, and it was almost always followed by a giggle as she smiled and waved back at him. And in that moment, she couldn't have dreamed there could be anything more precious.

"Roland's first word was 'cat,'" Robin says with a small laugh. "Little John found a stray and took it in, and—well—we all knew who held Roland's heart." He grins up at Regina. "At least Henry's first word could be considered a term of affection toward you."

Regina laughs out and again Ellie's eyes flutter open before promptly sinking closed again. She watches as Ellie's fingers grip tighter to Robin's shirt and she snuggles closer, and from the corner of her eye, she sees a smile form on Robin's lips as he looks down at their daughter as she drifts to sleep.

She continues rubbing her thumb against the back of Ellie's hand, resting her head once more atop Robin's, just watching as he holds Ellie, and she thinks of all the nights they've spent like this, cuddled up together and holding her. Her thoughts begin to wander as she thinks back to those earlier days, filled with tentative touches and soft smiles, the desire to be the girl's mother but the fear that she'd somehow fall short. It all feels so distant, and she can't remember the last time she'd felt that way, the last time those worries had surfaced. Of course, it doesn't matter—she's long past it—but she wonders when those thoughts and feelings passed, when wanting changed to simply being, when something that had seemed so complicated turned into something that felt so natural.

"It doesn't happen very often, but I felt bad for Zelena today." She feels Robin sigh. He doesn't say anything, but he shifts so that he can see her. "I just…I know what she was feeling when Ellie reached for me and called me 'mama'."

"Regina, you are her mother."

"I know, but Zelena is, too."

"There's a difference." His eyes are soft and his shoulders stay relaxed, and he smiles gently. "And Ellie knows that."

"I know and I get that—and I love that." She pauses. "I just…I remember how I felt the first time I heard Henry call Emma his mother. It gutted me and it made me…" She stops and sighs, shaking her head. "I don't even know where I'm going with this. I just…we've worked so hard to keep Ellie out of the crossfire."

"Whether or not Zelena wants to continue to play nice is going to be completely up to her," Robin says, turning himself to look at her. "Regina, we've done everything we can to include her, to let her be a part of Ellie's life. But we can't control her decisions or how she feels or how she reacts to things." Again he offers that kind, gentle smile and his soft eyes look up at her—and as always when he looks at her in this way, she feels her shoulders relax and her own smile begin to form. "I won't feel guilty that Ellie called you 'mama' in the moment that she did—and you shouldn't either. I know your worry is coming from a place of love and I understand why you want to keep Zelena in her life, but Zelena has to want that and she has to accept that we are also a part of Ellie's life." He sighs and glances down at Ellie who is finally sleeping soundly against his chest. Rubbing his hand over her little back, he smiles and then looks back to Regina. "And regardless of the choice Zelena makes, our daughter is going to grow up in a house filled with love. She's going to grow up with two parents who love her, two brothers who'd do anything for her and an entire extended family who adore her and only want what's best for her—and she'll have that because of we made that choice—because you made that choice."

She nods and feels a smile tugging at one corner of her mouth, "I suppose that's a fair point."

Robin chuckles softly. "And I suppose that's as close to 'you're right' as I'll get." He grins. "And I'll take it."

She laughs, leaning into him as his arm slips around her. Her hand brushes against Ellie's back and she turns and drops a kiss against his temple. "I love you. Have I said that lately?"

"I think so—and, in case I haven't said it lately, I love you, too," he murmurs back in reply. He glances down at Ellie and then back at Regina. "I think I can put her down now without her waking up and acting as though I'm torturing her." Robin shifts away from her and stands up, and she slowly slides off the arm of the chair. "Why don't you go turn down the bed while I get her settled—and then we can finally go to sleep." He grins. "I don't know about you, but I am exhausted."

"It's all that fresh air we got," she tells him, leaning up on her toes and dropping a light kiss over his lips.

"Maybe," he muses. "It's been a very long day."

"But a good one," she adds with a smile and a nod.

"A very good one," he confirms as he kisses her back, pecking her lips quickly.

Leaning in, Regina presses her lips to Ellie's forehead and rubs the back of her fingers over her cheek. "Goodnight, Princess," she murmurs softly. "Mama loves you."

When she looks up, Robin is smiling at her and she finds herself easily smiling back. She turns toward the door, turning back once she reaches the threshold. She leans against the frame of the door, watching for a moment as Robin gently places Ellie into her crib. She watches as he reaches down and pulls her favorite blanket up where she can reach it and places her favorite stuffed duck at her side. She can hear him talking to her and though she can't make out the words, she finds herself smiling—smiling because regardless of what the future holds for them, regardless of whatever curve ball life throws at them next, they'll handle it together, as they always do. Because what they have together is worth any fight—because what they have together truly is something beautiful.


	5. Chapter 5: What Goes Around

Regina sits across from Archie, her legs crossed and her shoulders relaxed as she leans back in the chair and he looks up from his notepad and smiles at her.

They've been doing this for years now—longer than either of them can truly recall—but she can still remember the day she'd begrudgingly scheduled her first appointment. She remembers the weight of the pen between her fingers as she signed her name and said a silent prayer that this wouldn't be her undoing—that she'd have the restraint not to give herself away, that he wouldn't be able to connect the dots, that she wouldn't be able to give up the control of her memories and feelings, that something she did or shared would trigger a memory that would unravel her best kept secrets. But she also remembers how lonely she'd been—how the once boiling anger had turned to a simmer, letting the feelings the anger had masked come bubbling to the surface.

And she remembers after their first session together—despite how guarded she'd been and how obtuse she'd seemed—it helped. So she scheduled a second appointment and then a third, until it was part of her weekly routine and until the years blurred together and she lost count of just how many times she'd done this. The curse made it difficult, resetting his understanding of her the start of each calendar year, but each time they started anew and the slate was wiped clean, and it allowed her to stay in control of herself.

There were few people in those cursed years she trusted, and though at the time she'd have been hesitant to admit it, she trusted him—so much so that she trusted him with her son. When Henry began to struggle with his adoption, when he had questions that she couldn't answer, when he needed someone other than her to talk to, she didn't hesitate to schedule an appointment with Archie—and when Henry became distant, before she learned of the storybook Mary-Margaret had given him before Emma came to town and her secrets were unveiled, she'd gone to Archie for answers. And though she'd been perplexed she wasn't yet desperate and easily allowed the sessions to continue. He'd assured her that this was normal for adopted children, that it was a phase, that her son loved her—and she believed him and trusted him, and she'd been comforted by his words.

"I have to say, Regina, I am impressed by the way you've handled this whole situation."

Her eyebrow arches, "You mean surprised."

"No. Impressed," he says in a serious voice. "I am truly impressed by the way you've handled everything your sister has thrown at you."

She smirks. "Well, just because she's not scorched…"

"Regina," Archie says, leaning forward and placing a hand on her knee. "Don't discredit yourself. You've come a long way from the woman you once were, and you've worked very hard to get to where you are today."He smiles and pulls back. "But yes, the fact that Zelena isn't burnt to a crisp is a testament of that." She smiles softly as he continues. "And the way you love that baby…"

"Ellie is one of the best things to happen to me and Robin. She makes dealing with the fall out of her mother's little reign of terror on our lives just a little bit easier."

"She is a lovely little girl." Regina feels her smile deepen. "And watching you embrace becoming her mother has been something truly beautiful to watch."

Her smiles fades, but only slightly as she remembers how she'd called Archie, heart racing and stomach churning, as she told him what she'd almost done—how she'd almost written Zelena out of existence and again on the night that Ellie was born, worried she might never be able to separate Robin's daughter from her birthmother—and she remembers the way he'd smiled at her a few weeks later when she'd shown up late to their session with Ellie in tow, and introduced him to her daughter.

"So, next Friday?" Regina says as she shifts herself to the edge of the chair and reaches for her purse.

"Like always," Archie says.

Before she even steps through the diner's entrance, she can hear Ellie's little voice calling out to her—repeating 'mama' again and again as she stands on the seat of the booth and attempts to bounce. Regina can't stop the smile that spreads over her lips as she watches Ellie's knees bend and her hands clap against the booth's cushions as her bottom wiggles. She laughs as Robin adjusts her dress, pulling it down over the diaper cover, grinning up at Regina as she leans in to peck his lips before scooping up Ellie and holding her up above her.

"How was your session, love?" Robin asks.

"It was good," Regina says in a sing-song voice, answering his question, but focusing her attention on their daughter, whose little hands grasp at her mother's cheeks as she giggles. "Typical session with Archie—new session, same topic," Regina says lowering Ellie to her as she kisses and nibbles on her cheek as she slides into the booth beside Robin. Smoothing the little girl's messy waves, she settles her in her lap and focuses her attention on Roland, who sits across from them with a plate of fries and a workbook open before him.

"How was school?"

Roland replies with an exasperated sigh as his eyes turn upward and she looks wide-eyed to Robin, looking for an explanation that includes words.

"Roland was moved to the blue reading group," Robin tells her.

"Are we happy about this? Is it a good thing?"

"No," Roland interjects with a furrowed brow and a frown. "All my friends were in the red group."

"We are happy about this," Robin tells her. "The blue group is the advanced group."

Regina smiles and looks from Robin to Roland, "Sweetie, that's great. And I am sure you'll make new friends."

Roland looks back at the workbook, "But everyone already has partner. I have to work with theteacher until we pick new partners." He looks back up at Regina. "That's in a week."

"I am sure you'll survive," Robin says, sighing as he glances to Regina.

"Yeah, it's only a week," Regina says, watching as Roland reaches for a fry and drags it through the ketchup. "Next week's going to fly by, too. It'll be over before you know it."

Roland nods as Ellie reaches for the fry, her little fingers outstretched. Regina pulls back her hand and kisses her fingers. "What if no one wants to be my partner?" Roland asks in a small voice. He looks up and looks between Robin and Regina. "My own brother doesn't want to work with me."

"Roland, we've discussed this…"

"Discussed what?" Regina asks, glancing over at Robin, whose lips have curled into a smile.

"Henry found someone better to hang out with after school," Roland says, biting into the fry as his face scrunches. "And it's a girl."

Regina's eyes meet Robin's, watching as his eyes shift to the counter. She follows his gaze to Henry, who sits at the counter with a fresh-faced girl whose curly hair sits in a bun atop her head. Ellie lets out a screech as she watches Roland munch on his fry.

"Who is that?"

"That's what I wanted to know," Roland sighs.

"Her name is Tiana. She's in his biology class and they have a test coming up on Monday," Robin explains. "They're studying together…over cheese fries and sodas."

"Henry doesn't even like cheese fries," Roland adds. "He likes the plain ones."

"Roland…"

"What do we know about her," Regina asks, looking from Henry to Robin.

"That's she's fourteen and very polite, and in four of Henry's classes." Robin blinks a couple of times, "French, algebra, art and, obviously, biology." Regina's eyes widen at the realization that this has been going on for more than just an afternoon and Robin takes her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "Regina, relax. It's perfectly innocent."

Regina takes a breath. "She is…cute."

Roland's brow further furrows and he sighs audibly—and for a moment, they assume it's the six-year old's commentary on his brother's new friend. But Roland looks past Henry, his eyes narrowing as he scowls to the entrance of the diner, and Regina turns, following his gaze to Zelena.

Zelena stands in the door way, lingering there as her eyes fix on Ellie, who's leaning across the table, her fingers touching the edge of Roland's plate.

Neither Robin nor Regina says anything, instead they watch and wait—and all the while Regina wonders what Zelena's next move will be. It's been a week since their last encounter with her—a week since that day in the park when Ellie had called her mama. Undoubtedly, Zelena had been hurt by it, unwilling to listen to reason or see the situation in an objective way—and like a wounded animal she lashed out, blaming them for turning Ellie against her, once more casting herself as the story's victim as she puffed away in a cloud of green smoke.

"Of course, right on time to ruin a perfectly lovely afternoon," Robin murmurs, glancing back of her his shoulder with an annoyed sigh that mimics Roland's as Zelena slinks to the counter with an indignant air.

Reaching out, Regina rubs her hand over his knee, taking a breath as Zelena moves toward the counter and smiling as Robin turns her hand over in his and gives it a squeeze. "Ignore her."

"What is she doing here?" Roland asks scrunching his nose.

"Roland…"

"She's probably here for the same reason we are," Regina says.

But Roland is unsatisfied with the response. "Why does Ellie have two moms anyway?"

Robin and Regina exchange quick glances—explaining Zelena to Ellie is something they've discussed at length. It will be a conversation they have on their own terms when Ellie is ready for it; they've discussed how they'll tell her and what they'll say—but it's a conversation they don't plan to have for a number of years. And they certainly didn't plan on having it with Roland.

"Well, Henry has two moms," Robin says carefully. "And really, so do you."

"But Emma's nice," Roland says. "And…my mama…I don't really remember her, but I remember that she was nice, too."

"Well, being nice isn't exactly a requirement for being a mother," Regina replies in a careful voice.

"It should be," Roland says, crossing his arms over his chest as he scowls at Zelena. "She keeps looking over here."

Regina glances over to the counter, watching as Zelena turns away from them and pretends to examine the menu, and then she looks back at Ellie, remembering what it felt like to be an outsider looking in, like she didn't belong and there wasn't room for her even in the life of her own child. She kisses the top of her head and smoothes her hair, taking a breath as she slides out of the booth as Robin's brow furrows.

"What are you doing?"

"Being the bigger person," Regina replies in a tentative voice as she balances Ellie onto her hip as she feigns a cry, not happy to be separated from Roland's fries when she was so close to finally grasping one.

"You don't have to…"

"I know," she says, as a tight smile forms on her lips. "But I had a lot of chances and…" She looks down at Ellie and her smile warms. "And this little girl deserves me to keep giving my sister chances." She takes a breath as Ellie begins to fuss, leaning out of her arms and trying to reach Roland and his fries. "Duck, please," she says, looking at Robin, laughing when she sees that the yellow stuffed duck is already in his hands and being held out to Ellie.

"Hey, look what daddy's giving you," Regina coos, grinning as Ellie smiles at her duck, pulling it into her arms and hugging it to her chest. "There we go," she says in a sing-song voice, as she turns to face Zelena. Taking another breath, she prepares herself and takes a few steps forward.

Her reaction to Ellie's first word had been childish and petty, but Regina had understood and she'd empathized, remembering well what it felt like to be rejected and unwanted.

"Zelena?"

"What do you want?" She spits back without looking up from the menu.

"Robin and I are going to be here awhile with the kids, so I thought maybe you'd want to spend a little time with Ellie," Regina replies, the words proving to be more difficult to say than she'd thought. "I know you didn't get much time with her on Saturday…"

"Because you ruined it," Zelena says as she turns in her seat. "You ruined it, like you always do."

"At some point you're going to have to accept that I am a part of her life," Regina says slowly, fighting against herself to keep her voice calm and even—reminding herself to do it, not for Zelena's sake, but for Ellie's.

"A part of her life?" Zelena scoffs. "Well, isn't that an understatement. She thinks you're her mother. You've taken my place in her life."

"As my first-grader just reminded me, it is possible to have two mothers."

"Oh, right," Zelena nods. "I'm sure that you and Robin Hood just can't wait to play house with me."

Bouncing Ellie on her hip, Regina takes a breath and ignores the tingling feeling at her fingertips. "Do you want to spend time with your daughter or not?"

For an all too brief moment, there's a flicker of something in Zelena's eyes—something recognizable, something to sympathize with—and then it's gone.

"What? Have you taught her a new trick?" Zelena asks coolly as Ellie begins to fuss again, tears brimming in her eyes as she looks back at Roland and his plate of fries. "Perhaps she'll begin to screech and wail as soon as I touch her or—"

"Hey, Greenie," Granny interjects, as she drops a paper bag onto the countertop in front of Zelena. "Your food is ready."

"But, I haven't ordered," Zelena says as she looks back at Granny with a furrowed brow. "I…"

"Always order the same thing," Granny says. "I figured I'd do everyone a favor and have it ready for you."

Rolling her eyes, Zelena sighs and reaches for the bag.

"Another time then," Regina sighs as she turns back to the table, smiling as Robin pulls Ellie into his lap and tickles her sides to distract her from her tears—and before she even leaves, Zelena is all but forgotten.

Regina stands in front of the mirror, frowning at her reflection as she examines her outfit—just as she's done with three others this evening. She offers herself a defeated sigh as she glances back toward the bed where a pile of discarded clothes has accumulated—and she can't help but think that this would be so much easier if he'd just tell her where they were going rather than dropping vague and often contradictory clues.

Through the mirror, she watches him come into the bedroom wearing a smug smile as his eyes trail over her, chuckling softly as his eyes linger. "That's a different sweater," he says finally, as he leans against the dresser and crosses his arms over his chest. "You've changed. Again."

"It is," she replies flatly. "You haven't exactly given me much to work with."

"I suppose I haven't," he returns, leaning against the dresser as his smile deepens and his eyes glimmer as she scowls—annoyed that he's clearly enjoying watching her struggle. "But if I told you what we're doing tonight, it would ruin the surprise. And that's half the fun."

"I hate you sometimes," she tells him as her eyes narrow.

He laughs out and pushes himself toward her, dropping a light kiss onto her cheek. "You look fine," he tells her. "But I'd switch to boots."

"Would you?" She asks, rolling her eyes as she turns away from the mirror. "You know, this is a lot of hassle. We could just…stay in." She grins and takes a few steps toward him. "After all, Mary-Margaret and David have the kids until ten. We have the whole evening to ourselves—and we wouldn't have to worry about…appropriate attire."

"Ah, that's…a very tempting offer," he murmurs as she takes another step inward and presses her hand to his chest. Leaning in, he again kisses her cheek, letting his lips linger for a moment. "But not tonight," he tells her, stepping around her. "And what you're wearing is perfect—besides if you get cold, there will be plenty of blankets."

Her brow creases and she offers him an exasperated sigh as she turns to the closet in search of a pair of boots—and she's unable to stop the smile that stretches over her lips as she wonders what exactly he's up to.

Her breath catches at the back of her throat as they approach the stables; and slowly, she turns to face Robin. He's smiling warmly with soft, kind eyes—and she wonders how he manages to do this—how he manages to make even the simplest gestures seem so extraordinary.

"I thought that tonight we'd go horseback riding," he says simply. "I know that you haven't gone since I've been in Storybrooke, and Henry can't remember you ever going before, and I know how much you loved it once upon a time, and I wondered if you miss it as much as I do."

She nods—they've never talked about this—about how much she's missed this part of her life, this part of herself. She vividly remembers how this had once been her escape—how it had given her the small taste of freedom that she craved, how it had led her to the love she so desperately yearned for, how it gave her time to clear her mind and collect her thoughts and feelings and how, even on the darkest of days, it had relaxed her and made her feel at ease.

She'd been introduced to riding by her father—and she easily remembers how he'd hold her close as he brought his horse from a quick trot into a full gallop as they'd flee the estate and her mother's disapproving eye to spend the late morning picking wildflowers and weaving them into crowns or skipping rocks into the creek. On her sixth birthday, her father had awoken her before the sun came up and led her to down to the stables—in the night, one of their prized mares had given birth. He held her hand as she crouched down in front of the foal, gently petting his soft, short fur. She'd looked up at him and blinked explaining they should name him Rocinante after the horse in the story they'd been reading together—and he'd nodded and told her she could name him whatever she wanted, that he was meant to be her horse.

Her fondest childhood memories were spent flying through the fields with her beloved Rocinante, feeding him apples from her favorite tree and leading him to the creek where he'd sip cool water while she sunk her feet in it and playfully kicked water at the son of the farmhand who maintained the stables on her family's estate. She remembers how as the years passed playful races turned to slow strolls through the fields, and how even after he was gone she would still ride with Rocinante to his grave to spend an afternoon with him.

As queen it had been her only reprieve—and when the King was away she allowed herself hours and hours riding through his kingdom. She'd worn a hooded cloak to keep her identity hidden; and despite that, when she rode Rocinante though wooded villages and along the roads near the open fields, she felt like herself—reminded of who she once was and who she wanted to be.

Her descent into darkness had ended these rides and when she'd arrived in Storybrooke, she'd reinvented herself, stripping away the layers of the person whose pain encapsulated her, who she no longer recognized, who she no longer wanted to be; and though she couldn't control it completely, there were aspects she could—and so she did.

"We don't hav…"

"No, I want to. This is…perfect," she says, cutting in quickly with a wide smile as her fingers fold down through his and she tugs him toward the stables where two saddled horses' await them.

They ride together toward the woods, and soon the blue sky turns to orange and then to black, and when she looks up there is a smattering of stars glowing brightly above the trees. Their quiet musings fade to silence as the crickets begin to chirp and the leaves start to rustle as their horses hooves tap in rhythm against the dirt path. She smiles softly, remembering the summer nights of her childhood when she and Daniel would sneak out to the edge of the woods to chase June bugs and tell ghost stories. She smiles and looks back at him, her smile deepening and her cheeks flushing as she realizes that as she's been admiring the stars, he's been admiring her.

"This was…lovely," she murmurs as she twists the braided leather reins between her fingers.

"I'm glad that you're enjoying it," he tells her. "I wasn't sure. You've been so quiet."

"Oh," she breathes out, shaking her head. "I just…I forgot how relaxing this could be."

"I'm glad," he tells her, a smile tugging at his lips.

"We should turn back," she murmurs as her eyes turn back to the stars above them. "It has to be close to nine."

"There's no rush to get back," Robin replies easily. "David and Mary-Margaret agreed to keep the kids for the night if we want them to—Roland and Ellie will already be long asleep by ten, and unless you're planning on interrogating Henry about Tiana, there's no need to rush home before Henry turns in for the night."

She laughs softly and looks back at him, "It is easier to pry information out of him when he's tired."

"He'll also tell you anything you want if you make those amazing apple-stuffed waffles you made that one time—and if he won't, I will."

"You do know something," she says turning her horse to face him. "He's talked to you about this."

"Yes," Robin admits with a sigh and a smile, "And we will have plenty of time to talk about that tomorrow."

"Why not tonight?"

His grin turns coy, "Because our evening is only just beginning." She watches as he pulls ahead of her, off the path—and she smiles curiously as she follows deeper into the woods.

She closes her eyes and takes a long, deep breath—enjoying the feel of the leather reins as they rub against her thumbs, the thick smell of forest that surrounds her; and she marvels at the ability to let go and, for once, trust someone else lead. For all her insistence about not liking surprises and needing to be in control, she finds it incredibly easy to trust him—to believe that with him, everything really will work itself out, that everything really will be okay.

Her horse's steps begin to slow and his tail swishes as he halts. Her eyes flutter open, and for a moment, all she sees is the glow of fire. She blinks a couple of times as her eyes focus, taking in the torches that lead the way to crackling fire near the stream. She watches, almost entranced, as the flames flicker and jump—and she remembers all of the nights they spent together in the Enchanted Forest, sitting in front of a dwindling fire talking about missed chances and lost loves. She hadn't been aware of it than—and if she was, she certainly would never have admitted it—but it in was on those nights when she began to think that maybe there was hope for her—maybe even hope for them.

Her heart beats just a little faster—taken aback by how much thought he put into this, how much care he gave it. "How did you do this?"

He grins and slides down from his horse. "I had some help with this part," he tells her, offering her his hand. "From the Merry Men."

Her eyebrow arches as she slips her hand into his and lets him help her down from the horse. "I'm…surprised. I wouldn't think they'd want to do me any favors."

"They're easily persuaded," he tells her with a soft chuckle. "And, they're coming around."

She rolls her eyes but grins. "I don't think that will ever happen."

"It will," he tells her, giving her hand a soft squeeze. "They know how much Roland and I love you, and how wonderful you've been to us. That matters to them." He takes a breath and smiles. "And that is the last of the Merry Men we will be discussing tonight."

She nods and leans up onto the tips of her toes, pressing a quick kiss onto his lips before tugging him forward.

She shivers and holds her hands out in front of the fire, smiling as Robin drapes a thick knit blanket over her shoulders. He grins at her as he lifts a basket and pulls out a bag of marshmallows. She laughs out as he hands them to her, then retrieves a bar of chocolate and box of graham crackers

"You're going to have to explain this…"

"I can do that," she tells him, as they settle onto the blanket in front of the fire.

"First," she begins as she opens the bag of marshmallows and hands one to him. "You slide this onto the skewer."

He laughs, "I think I can manage that."

"And I, personally, like to get the rest ready before I start toasting." She grins up at him as he watches her fingers slip beneath the foil of the candy bar as she takes it from his hand—and she can hardly believe that when her fingers touch his palm, she feels chills—almost as if it's the first time. "Can you open the graham crackers?"

"Sure."

"Now, break it in half," she tells him, watching as he snaps two crackers in half. "And then the chocolate goes between and…we wait for the marshmallows." He hands her the second skewer, then quickly adds the chocolate to the crackers. From the corner of her eye, she can see him watching as she slides a marshmallow onto it—and he chuckles quietly when she slides on a second. Meeting his gaze, she shrugs her shoulders almost sheepishly. "I like them extra gooey."

His arm folds around her shoulders and his head rests atop hers as they hold the skewers into the fire, and once more, she finds herself completely aware of just how content she feels in this moment—how content she feel with him.

"How long do we roast the marshmallows?"

"Oh, um…I guess it depends. Henry likes them just barely toasted…"

"More chewy than gooey."

"Exactly."

"And you?"

"I wait until they're scorched."

"Well, that is your style," he tells her, earning him a light swat when she feels a laugh rising in his chest. "Well, it is," he teases as he presses a kiss into her hair.

Finally, the marshmallows are toasted and they pull them from the fire and slide them between the graham crackers. Regina feels a smile stretching across her lips, as she bites into her s'more as Robin's brow furrows at the one that sits between his fingers—and slowly, he looks up at her with questioning eyes. She's not entirely sure where his confusion comes from, but she does know that she finds it entirely endearing.

"Take a bite," she says encouragingly. "Try it." She watches as he bites into the s'more, giggling as the marshmallow oozes from it. He laughs softly as he chews and wipes the back of his hand over his mouth, nodding as he mumbles through words that sound like 'you were right.' She reaches out and wipes away the marshmallow that he missed from the corner of his mouth; and before she can pull back, he catches her wrist and brings her marshmallow-covered finger to his lips. His lips form around her finger, sucking gently as his tongue swirls over the marshmallow. She smiles slowly, "Good?"

"Very," he murmurs as he kisses her palm and draws her closer.

He catches her lips in his and smiles against her mouth—and she smiles too, parting her lips as her his tongue slides against hers. The kiss sends tingles down her spine and she pushes closer, letting her hands wander to his chest and waist, her fingers pressing into the fabric of his jacket. Soon, his fingers are tangled in her hair and sliding against her back. Again, she presses closer and this time, he leans back and pulls her down with him—and she can't help but think that this is so much better than the s'mores.

He presses his hand into her back as she turns the key in the lock—and then, almost immediately, they hear Ellie's cries. Regina looks back at Robin as they push into the foyer, and he drops a quick and fleeting kiss on her cheek as she sighs. "Back to the real world," he murmurs in barely a whisper, as he jogs up the stairs to the living room.

She tugs at her boots, smiling as she hears Robin's soft voice trying to comfort their daughter; and despite Ellie's screeching cries, Regina feels her heart warm as he speaks to her in the calm and steady, sing-song voice that he uses only for her. Tossing her boots asides, she ascends the stairs and hovers in the doorway, watching as Robin sways back and forth with Ellie, kissing her red, tear-stained cheeks as Mary-Margaret explains.

And once more she feels her heart swell. She wouldn't trade their time together and she can't say that she hasn't enjoyed their moments alone—moments when they can focus solely on one another—but this is the version of him that she first fell in love with—the lovingly doting father—and this is the version of him she holds dearest in her heart.

"It seems," Robin begins as he turns to face her, "Our little princess's duck has gone missing."

"Oh," she breathes, as her smile fades. "That's…not good news for anyone."

"No," Roland says with a sigh as he folds his arms over his chest. "It's not."

"We've looked everywhere," Mary-Margaret says apologetically.

"Twice," Roland is quick to add.

"It's nowhere to be found."

"The only place we haven't looked is your car—but now that you guys are back, we can," Henry says, getting up from the couch—and likely just looking for an excuse to leave the room and get away from his baby sister's angry screams.

"I'm coming too," Roland calls, practically throwing himself from the couch and running after him and eliciting a small smirk from Regina as clatters past her on Henry's heals.

"Well," she beings, trying to remember the last time she saw the duck. "You checked the diaper bag? Underneath her blankets? Sometimes she likes to hide things."

"Yes," Mary-Margaret says with an exhausted sigh. "I looked and Henry."

"I know she had it this morning," Regina says, frowning as Ellie turns to face her—her blue eyes glistening with tears and her chubby cheeks red. "I could barely pry it away from her when I changed her."

Robin grins gently as he cradles the inconsolable girl. "And she had it at lunch," he says. "I remember because poor Ducky needed a bath after he was dipped in yogurt." He chuckles softly as he dips and sways. "And he was bathed and dried in time to collect the boys from school and meet you at Granny's."

Regina's brow furrows, as she remembers asking Robin to hand her the duck just before the short exchange —and then she grimaces. "I know where it is."

"You do?" Mary-Margaret asks with wide-eyes. "I didn't think to call the diner…"

"It's not at the diner," Regina is quick to say, as her eyes meet Robin's.

"You don't think she would…" Robin begins to say, but stops himself from finishing the question—because the answer is obvious to the both of them. He sighs and kisses Ellie.

"I will be right back," she says, cocking her eyebrow as she raises her arms and disappears in a cloud of purple smoke.

And when the smoke fades she's standing at Zelena's doorstep. She takes a breath and knocks as she feels her fists clench and her blood boil at the memory of Ellie's tears—tears that should never have been. She knocks again and wonders how many times in Ellie's life it'll work out this way and she wonders how long it can go on. Because even though she's been the one who pressed for Zelena to remain a part of Ellie's life, even when Robin was resolute in cutting her out of it, she know that it can't continue if it's only going to hurt her.

Zelena's eyebrows arch in surprise as the door opens. "Regina," Zelena begins in a tentative voice. "What do I owe for the pleasure of seeing my baby sister?"

"You have something that belongs to me," Regina replies in a curt voice, as she clenches her fists tighter.

"Ah, and I might say the same to you."

"You might, but I would disagree."

A cold smile twists over Zelena's lips and she chuckles quietly, "Are you denying that you've stolen my daughter?"

"I didn't steal anything, Zelena. I filled a space that was empty." Scoffing, she shakes her head. "I was always going to be a part of Ellie's life because Robin will always be a part of mine. And I didn't ask to be her mother—on the contrary, I was perfectly content loving her as Robin's daughter—my step-daughter—because I didn't need a title in order to have a bond."

"Well, isn't it just lucky for you how it all worked out then."

A small smile forms on her lips as she remembers those early days with Ellie—how quickly she fell in love with her dimpled cheeks and bright eyes, how her reservations faded away with each minute spent with her, how with every late-night feeding, diaper change and nighttime bath had made her feel more and more like the girl's mother, until it wasn't just a feeling. "I suppose I am lucky," she says in reply, unable to doubt it. "But you could have been lucky, too."

"I hardly think that…"

"It didn't have to be this way. You had your chances—and you squandered every last one of them."

"What chances?" Zelena spats indignantly. "Chances to what—name my daughter? Oh, no. That was you, no chance for me. Chances to tuck her in at night? No, still you, not me. Chances to…"

"That's just it. You could have had those things. You squandered your first chance on the night she was born. While Robin was at the hospital with her, you were off chasing after Emma's secrets, trying to exploit everyone's pain." She shakes her head. "And then, it wasn't until you'd failed miserably at that that you remembered you even had a daughter." She sighs. "Robin has been more than patient with you. I have been more than patient with you. You say you want to be a parent, then be a parent. Put her first. Do something for her—for her, not you. And then we can revisit this conversation."

"Are you not listening to me?" Zelena spats, "How can I do that when you…"

"No, you see this isn't about me. This is about a little girl who has spent hours crying, who has been completely inconsolable because of her mother's selfishness."

"What are you talking about?"

"Her duck," Regina says with an indignant sigh. "The yellow duck that she can't be without—the one she takes everywhere, including the bathtub; the one she tries to feed grapes to when she has her lunch; the one she can't fall asleep without; the one that's the first thing she reaches for when she wakes up." She takes a breath and reminds herself to keep her voice calm and even, not to let emotion get the best of her. "The one she had at the diner this afternoon, the one she was holding when we were talking."

For a moment, Zelena says nothing—and for a moment, Regina sees a flicker of remorse within her. "I…I didn't know…"

"No, you wouldn't."

"She dropped it."

"Why didn't you give it back?"

"Because," Zelena says, as her jaw tenses and shoulders square. "Because I wanted something of hers, something that…would make me feel close to her—because while you're busy playing housewith your thief and my daughter, I am left here with nothing."

"We're not playing house."

"Hm, I don't see a ring on your finger."

Regina laughs. She knows the words were meant to hurt her and to make her doubt what she and Robin have together, but they don't—because with Robin, she has no doubts. "As usual, you're missing the point."

"Am I? Or are you just in denial."

"The point was that you didn't have to be left with nothing."

"Didn't I?"

Regina shakes her head, "Look, I've been where you are and there was a point when I had to let go of all those painful memories and angry feelings. I had to because…because if I didn't I would have lost my son." She smiles meekly and shakes her head. "Take a page from my book, Zelena. Otherwise, you really are going to lose your daughter and you'll have no one to blame but yourself." She clears her throat and squares her shoulders. "Now, I believe you have something that belongs to my daughter."

Zelena's eyes fall away from her and she watches as she steps back inside, emerging a moment alter with the yellow stuffed duck. Slowly, she hands it to Regina, and soon as the duck is secure in her hands, she disappears in yet another cloud of smoke.

She reappears in the living room, but when she arrives, she finds it empty. The lights are on upstairs and she can hear Robin singing. She grins at his off-key rendition of The Itsy-Bitsy Spiderthat's offset by Ellie's cries—and she picks up her pace, jogging up the stairs and taking long strides toward the bathroom.

She knocks on the frame of the door and waves Ellie's duck at Robin, who smiles in relief as he lifts Ellie from the water and wraps her in a hooded towel. She lets out an exasperated cry as she leans back from Robin's hold—and that's when her eye catches her beloved duck. Regina smiles as Ellie pulls herself up and hold out her hands—and before Regina can take a step inward, the duck disappears from her hands in a burst of pink smoke and when it settles Ellie is holding it close, nuzzling her cheek against the duck's bill.

Regina's eyes slowly shift from Ellie to Robin, who his staring wide-eyed at their daughter. She feels a smile tug at her lips and she laughs quietly. "You had to know this was coming eventually."

"I…just…" Looking up, he blinks a few times. "She's…so young and…"

"Innocent?" Regina asks, smirking as she steps into the bathroom and takes Ellie into her arms, cuddling her close as she kisses the damp towel the covers the little girl's head. "It starts early when it's strong," she tells him, "And given Zelena's magic, it's no surprise."

"You're awfully calm about this," he says as he grapples to find an understanding—again, causing her to smirk.

Looking back down at Ellie, she thinks of her earliest memories, when magic seemed just that—magical. It wasn't until she was older and saw the way her mother used that she tried to stifle her own, coming into the belief that magic could only be dark, could only be used to manipulate and cause suffering.

"I am calm," she returns looking back at him to find that he's watching her with soft eyes and a gentle smile. "She won't grow up the way I did—fearing herself and pushing away who she is."

"She is lucky to have you."

But she shakes her head, "I'm the lucky one." Extending her hand to him, she waits for him to take it and tugs him from the bathroom and toward Ellie's nursery. "So, how about we get her ready for bed and all tucked in, and then…" She grins and looks up at him. "Maybe we can pick up where we left off." He arches an eyebrow and once more she smirks—suddenly very aware that she is no longer taken aback when she finds herself comfortable in her own skin.


	6. Chapter 6: Where the Heart Is

The sharp, sweet sound of Ellie's laugh is the first thing she hears as her eyes begin to flutter open. A small smile curls onto her lips as she feels the warmth of the morning sun pouring into the bedroom. Rolling onto her side, she tucks her hand beneath her pillow, her smile deepening as she watches Robin play with Ellie. The little girl's wide eyes watch intently as Robin slowly lowers his hands from his face and she dissolves into a fit of high-pitched giggles when Robin's eyes cross and his cheeks puff out.

"Peek-a-boo!" He coos in a sing-song voice. "Peek-a-boo," he says again, leaning in and scooping her up as he leans back against the pillows and holds Ellie up over his face. Still giggling, she kicks her pajama-covered feet and Robin lowers her to him and kisses her dimpled cheek.

"Boo!" She calls out as she presses her hands against Robin's face, then quickly pulls them back.

"Can you say 'da-da?"

"Boo!"

"Da-da," he repeats, looking up at Ellie with hopeful eyes. "Da…da."

"Boo!" She returns, once more giggling as she reaches for Robin's cheeks.

Robin sighs and tries again, "Da-da. You can say it, Da…da."

"Boo!"

"She'll get it eventually," Regina says, chuckling softly as Robin and Ellie both turn their faces toward her. She grins as Robin leans in and drops a soft kiss onto her lips. "Good morning," she murmurs as his lips pull away from hers.

"Good morning," he replies. "I'm sorry we woke you."

"Don't apologize," she's quick to say, grinning as Ellie reaches out of Robin's arm for her duck, tumbling from his lap and rolling onto her back between them. He lifts the duck above her and taps its bill gently against her nose, and once more her laugh rings out as her chubby fingers reach for the duck and pulls him close against her chest. "It was nice to wake up to something other than an alarm clock," Regina replies as she rubs her hand over Ellie's stomach, then looks back to Robin. "You let me sleep in."

"Well you had a…long night."

"Ah, that's true," she murmurs back, a coy grin stretching over her face as she thinks back to the previous night—his warm, wet lips trailing down her neck and stomach, the way his arms had wrapped around her and held her against his chest as her hips rocked back and forth against him, the way lips had caught her earlobe just before his tongue swirled just above her jaw and sent shivers down her spine. "But so did you."

He grins mischievously and shrugs his eyebrows and she can't help but laugh as he scoops Ellie up and rolls closer to her, dropping a soft and all too quick kiss on her lips. "On that note, I'm going to go make a pot of coffee." She lets out a little whimper as he withdraws, rolling away from her and getting out of bed. She watches as he bounces Ellie on his hip and she chews on her duck's bill. As they approach the door, Ellie turns, opening and closing her fingers over her palm as she waves 'bye bye' at her mother. Regina grins and waves back, and as Robin and Ellie disappear down the hallway, she hears Ellie's little voice saying 'Mama' accompanied by Robin's somewhat exasperated sigh in reply to it.

Chuckling softly, she lies back against the pillows, closes her eyes, and mulls over her day, and at some point, she has to get out of bed. Roland has a play-date later that afternoon with a friend from school and a sleepover with another friend, and though it's Henry's weekend with Emma, he sent a text late the previous night inquiring about a missing text book that he'll need later that day for another study date-which he still swears to her isn't a date. She sighs and thinks she should probably start to go through Ellie's closet and box up some of the clothes she's too big to wear and pretend her heart doesn't ache because of it. And then it occurs to her—aside from Ellie, she and Robin will have the house completely to themselves.

A smile curls onto her lips as she thinks of the dates he's planned over the past several weeks. At first the idea had seemed silly to her—the two of them dating, given they'd been together for years now and were raising three children—but she's found that as the weeks have passed, she's looked forward to their dates. They've had candlelit dinners and moonlit walks along the pier; they've ridden horses through the woods and cooked s'mores over an open fire; they've talked more in the past few weeks than they have in the past few years about all of the things they never had time to talk about before—and somewhere in the middle of all that, she's found herself falling in love with him all over again.

And now, she wonders if it's not time to return the favor.

Regina steps into the diner with Henry's textbook tucked beneath her arm. She scans the diner for her son, then checks her cell phone—five past eleven and no text indicating that plans have changed. She slides into her usual seat at the counter, grabs a menu and waits.

"Can I get you something to drink while you're deciding?" Her eyebrows raise when the voice behind the counter isn't Granny's and she lowers her menu to see Tiana—the girl Henry's adamantly not telling her about. She smiles softly as the girl's brown eyes widen a bit. "Oh, hi. You're…one of Henry's moms."

"I am," Regina say with an easy nod. "And you're Henry's friend from school."

"Yeah," she admits as a slightly nervous giggle escapes her. "We're lab partners."

"That explains all of the studying you're been doing lately." Again, the girl's eyes widen a little and she nods—and Regina has to admit, there's something very likable about this girl. She seems sweet and her eyes light up at the mention of Henry's name. A warm smile stretches across her lips as she extends her hand to the girl. "Regina Mills—otherwise known as one of Henry's moms."

"Tiana," she says gingerly as she shakes Regina's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Mills."

"Please, call me Regina." The girl smiles as their hands separate. "How long have you been working here?"

"A week," she replies excitedly. "I want to own my own restaurant someday. I love to cook for people, and I figured this would be a good place to start."

Regina nods, "It is—and if you can figure out the secret in Granny's meatloaf recipe, I'll trade it for my lasagna recipe—which I never give to anyone." She grins and leans in a little. "I've been trying to figure out that meatloaf…forever."

"Deal," Tiana says with a smile and a nod. "I've heard amazing things about your lasagna."

Regina feels her heart warm at the thought of Henry talking about her infamous lasagna. She remembers the first time they made it together, his little fingers patting down the layers of hot, freshly-boiled noodles as she spooned on the ricotta and meat sauce and how he'd convinced her to toss a few extra handful of mozzarella over the top to make it extra cheesy—and from that point on, it had been a staple in their weekly dinner menu.

Before she can say any more about meatloaf or lasagna, the bell on the door jingles and she turns to see Henry stepping into the diner with Mary-Margaret on his heels. His eyes widen at the sight of Regina at the counter, as she quickly turns back to Tiana, telling her it was pleasure to meet her and ordering a cup of tea. She slides from the stool and grabs the textbook, meeting Henry and Mary-Margaret at the door.

"Relax," she says easily as she hands him the book. "I like her. You should invite her over for dinner sometime."

He blinks, "Oh, yeah…maybe."

"I'm sure she'd love to try my lasagna for herself."

Henry's cheeks flush a deep red as he tucks the book under his arm and brushes past them toward the counter, and Mary-Margaret laughs, "I thought it was funny."

"Thank you—I did, too."

"Are you sticking around for a bit?"

Regina nods, "I just ordered tea and—I wanted to plan something out for later tonight that I'd rather not do at home with a six year old asking a million questions and a one year old grabbing at my pen."

"Or a thief stealing glances?"

"Or a thief stealing glances," Regina repeats as they slide into the closest booth. "Especially a thief stealing glances."

Mary-Margaret's eyes widen and a slow smile forms over her lips, "Are you planning a surprise date?"

"Maybe…"

"Do you need me to take Ellie for the night?"

"Oh," Regina says shaking her head. "I don't think that's necessary. The boys will both be gone, and Ellie's been sleeping so well lately…" She trails off. "Besides, I'm just planning a dinner."

"Well, if you change your mind, I know that Neal would love a little Ellie-time."

"Ellie misses him, too, I'm sure. I think she likes having a…" Her voice trails off as she considers what Neal and Ellie are to each other—some sort of cousins maybe?—and her brow furrows when there no obvious links occur to her. "Well, a little something her own size."

"A nephew," Mary-Margaret supplies easily. "Your daughter would be my son's aunt."

She feels an involuntary smile curl up onto her lips at the sentiment—that Mary-Margaret could still considers her a step-mother, even after everything she's done to discredit herself from the role. She smiles and nods, and neither dwell on it—instead, choosing to move past it. Nonetheless, she's touched.

The conversation pauses and Tiana sets a cup of tea down in front of Regina, and Mary-Margaret orders the same.

"You know, these dates of yours are…inspiring."

"Maybe you're not the one who should be offering up a sitter," Regina says with a smirk.

Mary-Margaret laughs, "I'm serious. It's so easy to fall into that Old-Married-Couple routine. You guys have avoided that. Completely. And that's…really great."

Regina's eyebrow arches, "Perhaps that's because we're neither old nor married."

"Perhaps."

She sips the tea and listens as Mary-Margaret continues to fuss, all the while making a mental grocery list in her head. She's selected something that they'll both enjoy, a modern twist on a recipe that was popular to serve during celebrations in the Enchanted Forest. During her first few years in this realm, she made it often—a sort of comfort food when she was missing the life she'd lost to the darkness. But slowly, the desire for it faded and the comfort it initially brought only reminded her of the pain she desperately wanted to forget.

For the most part she's now spent a lifetime pushing away those memories, embracing the modern world and all of its amenities. She no longer finds herself thinking about that part of her life—the years spent on a countryside estate or the rustic delicacies her family was used to; and certainly tires her best not to think of the years of her marriage, when everything seemed to push her further and further down the rabbit hole until she lost herself completely.

So, it took her some time to decide on it. Typically, for a romantic night in, stew wouldn't make her menu—especially not when she could serve something decadent like lemon-buttered lobster tails—but she knows that there are times when Robin misses his previous life, a life he never actually elected to leave. And though he doesn't say it, she knows that he feels out of place in this modern world—in her world.

Tiana sets Mary-Margaret's tea down and the clatter of Mary-Margaret's spoon swirling honey into it snap Regina back into the moment.

"So, have you heard from Zelena?"

Regina sighs, "No. Not since that night."

"Good riddance," Mary-Margaret muses as she sips the tea.

"I don't know…"

Setting the cup back onto the saucer, Mary-Margaret's eyes narrow, "Really?"

She pushes back her own tea cup and sighs slowly, "Archie thinks that…I'm…projecting my feelings about what happened with Henry onto Ellie."

"Oh…" Mary-Margaret murmurs as her eyebrows arch.

Regina rolls her eyes and taps her fingers against the tea cup. "You agree."

"I just think that's…very possible."

Regina shakes her head dismissively, "This is different…"

"I agree, it is different."

"But I also think it's important to learn from mistakes," Regina says, her voice growing agitated. "I kept things from Henry his whole life, and when he discovered that…I almost lost him for good."

"But you didn't and…" Mary-Margaret sighs and reaching across the table, giving her hand a slight squeeze. "And you're not lying to Ellie by removing someone from her life who's potentially going to hurt her. I might not have seen it then, but you were never a threat to Henry. Can you say the same about Zelena with Ellie? Because I'm not sure I can."

Regina withdraws her hand and folds her arms over her chest, her eyes rolling as her stubborn streak flares—and she begins to wonder if perhaps they're right.

"Another easy bedtime," Robin muses happily as he comes into the kitchen and sets the baby monitor down. Regina looks up and smiles as his lips brush against her cheek. "She's been sleeping like a champ lately."

"She must have another growth spurt com—"

"Nope," Robin is quick to interject, shaking his head and not even allowing her to complete the sentence, as he rests his elbows on the counter. "I won't have it. She has to stay my precious baby girl for the rest of her life. That's just how it is."

Regina grins as her eyes meet his, "She's always going to be your precious baby girl, no matter how big she gets."

"I refuse to accept her growing up," he says with an adamant sigh. "Isn't there a curse or something that can, at the very least, slow this down?"

Her eyes widen a little as she swats the back of her hand against his arm and feigns annoyance. He chuckles softly and grins at her—and she finds herself rather suddenly taken aback. If anyone had told her even just a year before that they could make lighthearted jokes about something like her past sins—or that those jokes could elicit even the slightest of smiles from her—she wouldn't have believed it. She couldn't have—there'd have been too much guilt. Yet as a grin stretches across her lips, she can't help but notice the way he's looking at her and guilt is the last thing she feels.

"So, what's that?" He asks, leaning in and looking into the glass bowl.

"Venison," she tells him, reaching for a pair of tongs to pull the meat from the marinade. "I thought that since the boys were both gone and Ellie wouldn't be eating what we eat anyway, we could have something… a little different tonight." She grins as she reaches for a knife. "Something from back home." His eyes light up and he leans in closer, watching as she slides the knife through the venison and tosses it into a Dutch oven. Again, she finds herself grinning—sometimes he reminds her so much of Roland, and this is one of them. "You can help, you know."

He straightens, "What would you like me to do?"

"Grab the parsnips and start chopping," she instructs as she nods to the other side of the counter. "And then do the same to those carrots." He circles around the counter and his hand slides across the small of her back as he does. "Make sure you use a cutting board."

"I wouldn't dream of not using one," he tells her with a mischievous grin and a wink. She watches as he retrieves one of the wooden boards from beneath the counter and begins to slice the knife through the parsnip. "Am I doing this correctly?"

"A little thinner."

He nods and repositions the knife, "And what exactly are we making with the venison, parsnips and carrots?"

"Venison Bourguignon."

He chuckles softly, "Oh, I'd hoped those bottles of wine were…for something else."

Her eyebrow arches, "That's just cooking wine. I have something better chilling…for something else."

He blinks up at her a few times, and then a slow smile stretches across his lips, "You have something planned."

"Just making dinner," she says a little too innocently, as she looks back down to her cutting board. From the corner of her eye, she catches his smirk as he resumes slicing the parsnips. "Toss those in when you're done."

He nods and works his way through the parsnips and by the time he's cutting through the carrots, she's finished preparing the meat. She quickly rinses her hands and joins him on the same side of the counter, standing close enough that their hips touch.

"You smell like rosemary," he murmurs as he continues to chop.

"I know," she tells him. "The marinade had rosemary in it."

"Did I tell you rosemary was always one of my favorite scents?"

She grins, "You might have mentioned it once." He clears his throat and looks over at her. She can feel him watching her as she quarters the turnips and she struggles against herself not to smile—it's just dinner, after all. "Can you clean up the radishes?"

He blinks in the direction of the radishes, his brow furrowing as he reaches for the colander and water drips from it. "Aren't they already washed?"

"Yes, but…" She pauses, "You need to pull the tops off and…" He blinks, looking truly baffled, and she laughs a little, then reaches around him for the peeler. "Let me show you." Robin takes a step back, but she gently pushes him back to the edge of the counter before taking his hand in hers. "Hold it, like this…" she instructs, as she positions the peeler in his hand. "Hold your wrist steady and then…" Together their hands drag the peeler over the radish. "Not too hard because you don't actually want to cut it, just skin off the first layer."

"Can't they be eaten as they are?"

She nods and takes a breath, enjoying his closeness. "This just makes the flavor more enjoyable."

"I agree—this is more enjoyable."

She drops a quick kiss on his cheek and pulls back, rolling her eyes as he shrugs his eyebrows suggestively. "When you're done with that, smash the garlic and toss everything in." She leans in and kisses him again, this time letting her lips linger at his jaw. "I'm going to grab the wine."

She returns with two bottles and hands him one, watching as he twists the corkscrew into the top. She sets the second bottle down and reaches for a jar of molasses and another bowl, grinning when the cork comes free with a pop and then she hands him the second bottle. "This one is the one for…something else."

There's a glint of excitement that flashes in his eyes before he drives the corkscrew into the top of the bottle and begins to twist it. She watches him as she empties the molasses into the bowl, smiling and letting her eyes linger when he turns and reaches to retrieve two wine glasses from the cabinet.

He pours the wine and slides her glass toward her, handing her a spoon she'd begun to reach for. Again, she grins at him, and when she reaches for the other glass of wine, she's very aware of his eyes on her—aware of the way he's looking at her, watching the way her fingers wrap around the bottle as she drains the liquid into the molasses, slowly stirring as the sticky molasses thins out .

"Want a taste?" She asks, looking up and arching an eyebrow at him. He nods and his eyes fall once more to her fingers, watching as she dips her index finger into the bowl. He takes a step in as she brings her finger to his lips. He takes her finger into his mouth, sucking gently as his tongue swirls around it. She feels her cheeks flush a little and she tries to smile, but instead only manages to lick her lips and watch her fingers at his lips. "How is it?"

He smiles and brings her palm to his mouth, pressing in a soft kiss. "Incredible."

She breathes out and slowly withdraws her hand, "Then all that's left to do is…bring the two together." He nods and watches as she pours the molasses and wine over the venison and vegetables. He hands her the top of the Dutch oven, and she covers it and carries it to the oven, sliding it in and setting the timer.

She grins as she feels his hand slide around her waist. Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she turns and slides her fingers through his belt loops, spinning him around and pushing him against the edge of the counter. His breath catches and he swallows audibly, but he smiles and sets the glasses of wine down behind him. Leaning up on her toes, she kisses him, pressing her lips to his and smiling against his mouth as her tongue glides against his. Reaching up, he pushes his fingers through her hair, drawing her closer as her hands slide up his chest—and slowly, she pushes him back.

He blinks a couple of times and her smile deepens as she reaches around him and picks up the glasses of wine. She hands him one of the glasses and takes a sip from the other, licking her lips as she takes a few steps back. "The venison Bourguignon will be ready in about an hour, so until then…how about a little something else?"

They soon find themselves in the living room, curled up together on the couch and sipping wine between kisses. With each kiss she slides closer to him, refilling their glasses before they're even near emptied. She leans in, dragging her lips against his jaw and pushing her fingers against his shirt, until he turns his face and catches her lips between his.

She can taste the wine on his lips as he kisses her softly—it's intoxicating and all she can think of is that she wants more—more of his lips, more of his touch, more of him.

"If I didn't know better," he says, reluctantly breaking the kiss and letting out a shallow breath as her lips settle on a spot just beneath his jaw. He lets out a low groan her lips trail to his throat. "You're trying to get me drunk so that you can have you way with me."

"That's precisely what I'm trying to do," she murmurs back, as her lips slide to the other side of his neck, sucking harder as she shifts herself onto his lap. He swallows audibly, his Adam's apple bobbing when she pushes him back into the cushions.

"Oh, god…" He breathes as she straddles his waist, grinding against him as her fingers tug at the fabric of his shirt until it bunches at his ribs. She pulls her lips away, sitting up straighter as his hands find her hips. She draws his shirt up and pulls it over his head, and she runs her fingers down his bare chest as she continues to grind against him, smiling as she feels the effect she's having on him.

She rises up onto her knees and her finger twist around the hem of her dress. Again, she hears him swallow as she pulls the dress over her head and drops it to the floor, revealing the sheer, black lace lingerie she chose for the evening.

His eyes wander over her appreciatively, smiling as he takes her in. She feels her cheeks flush a little and she wonders how he still does it—how he makes her feel like he's looking at her for the first time, though they've been together like this countless time. "You are so gorgeous," he murmurs, eliciting a soft grin from her as she bends forward and kisses her way down his chest as her fingers fumble with his belt. Again, she pulls herself up and repositions herself between his knees. Her fingers work quickly, unbuttoning his pants and pulling down the zipper as her hand dips inside.

He lets out a low, shaky groan at first contact, and she grins coyly up at him as her hand rubs against his boxers. He lifts his hips and pushes down his pants and she tugs them down the rest of the way, pulling his boxers with them. She hears him exhale slowly as her fingers run up and down his shaft, kneading gently at his balls as her tongue swirls around the tip.

"Oh, Regina…" He breathes out as his fingers tangle in her hair.

She takes him into her mouth, sucking and making him writhe. She shifts her eyes upward, watching as his eyes close and his head falls back against the top of the couch, his chest rising and falling as his breath grows labored. She pulls mouth away and he picks up his head, panting as he watches her lick her lips.

Pulling herself back up, she places her knees on either side of him, grinning as his fingers loops through the sides of her panties. She looks down, watching as he pulls them away from her and inhales sharply as his fingers slip between her legs. A muffled moan escapes her as she leans forward and positions herself over him, then lowers herself to him. He holds onto her hips, gently guiding her down until he fills her completely.

They stay like that for a moment, joined together as she adjusts to him. His eyes meet hers as his hands loosely hold her hips, rubbing gently against her skin—he's always been a kind, considerate lover and so very different from the other men she's been with, different in every possible way.

Slowly her hands slide back, stopping just above his knees, as her hips begin to move back and forth. He lets out a throaty groan as she slides slowly up and down his length in a way she knows drives him crazy with anticipation.

"You feel so good," she hears him say.

"Mmm, you too," She murmurs in reply, leaning forward and linking her arms around him as she beings to ride him harder.

He reaches around her, unclasping her bra and pulling the straps down her arms. He drops her bra to the floor and almost instantly his tongue is swirling around one nipple and his fingers tweaking the other. She's getting close and so is he—she breathes out his name as she rolls her hips forward and reaches back massaging his balls, gently squeezing and rubbing her fingers against the sensitive skin until she feels him tensing and jerking.

He lips graze her shoulder as she continues to rolls her hips as he finishes inside of her. His hand slips down between them, fingers flicking against her clit, pressing hard as he rubs in circular motions until she too has come undone.

She falls limp in his arms and he's quick to adjust her into a more comfortable position, pulling her legs over his lap. She smiles and pushes her hand though his hair, letting her fingers rub at the back of his neck as she offers him a languid kiss. He kisses her back, his tongue grazing lazily over hers as his hand settles on her thigh.

"That was nice," she murmurs, smiling when he lips meet her shoulder, sucking softly at her warm skin. "And so is that."

He chuckles softly and she reaches for the wine glasses that sit beside them. Carefully, she pours one glass and hands it to him, and fills the other for herself, and soon they've slipped into an easy, light-hearted conversation as they wait for the oven's timer to go off.

They're wrapped in a blanket in front of the fire, empty bowls and wine glasses sit forgotten beside them. Beneath the blanket, her skin tingles as his hands roam freely over her body as his lips suck gently at her neck. She closes her eyes and inhales deeply—this has been such a perfect evening.

"Thank you," he murmurs against her skin. "For tonight."

"You enjoyed the stew?"

"I did…" He pulls his lips away from her and though she's not looking at him, she can feel him smile. "Amongst other things."

"Yes," she agrees, "I enjoyed the other things, too." Turning her head, she looks back at him from over her shoulder. "Are you ready for the rest of it?"

She chuckles softly as his eyes widen. "There's more?"

"Just…a little something."

"You are magnificent."

At that, she laughs and with a flick of her wrist, they're caught in cloud of purple smoke and when the cloud settles, they're in their en suite bathroom. There are candles everywhere, enough to light the room, and the bathtub is filled with bubbles. She takes him by the hand and leads him forward, stepping into the tub and pulling him with her. Together they sink down into the bubbles, letting the warm water waft over them.

Regina leans back into his chest as he raises his knees up. A grin twists onto her lips as she feels his fingers slip between her legs—and her breath catches when he slowly slides two inside of her, working them in and out as his thumb rubs against her clit. She shudders as he picks up the pace until she's pushing herself back against him and clutching the edge of the tub as she reaches her climax.

Slowly he withdraws his fingers, wrapping his hands around her waist as he drops a kiss against her jaw. "Thank you," he says. "Tonight really was wonderful."

"I love you," she murmurs back as she sighs contently. "Have I said that recently?"

He kisses the top of her head and she hears him say it back as he her eyes sink closed.

When they flutter open again, they're in bed. The room is dark with the exception of the moonlight that pours in through the window. She can just barely see him lying there beside her, but can feel him—the warmth of his body close to hers, the way he gently strokes his fingers though her hair, and she can see that he's looking at her in that way that makes her heart feel light—his eyes are soft and full of love, his smile sweet and adoring—and it's moments like these that she can't quite believe that he's hers.

"Hey…"

"Hi."

"Sorry, I didn't even realize I'd dozed off."

"It's okay," he says easily. "You were obviously tired—and for good reason."

Grinning, she catches her bottom lip between her teeth. He leans in and kisses her forehead. "Did you sleep at all? What time is it, anyway?"

"No—and—I'm not sure. It's been a few hours."

She grimaces and pulls back, "Not exactly the way I wanted tonight to end."

He shrugs and smiles dismissively, "You're cute when you sleep and…it gave me some time to think."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he murmurs in reply. "I was thinking that…the only thing that could make this better is if you were my wife."

She tenses immediately and a knot forms in her stomach, and she knows this shouldn't be her reaction. She can't find her voice and she knows that with each passing second, her silence speaks volumes. Her breath hitches in her throat as she rolls onto her back and though the distance between them is a matter of inches, it feels like miles.

"Hey, love, it's…it's okay," he murmurs as he slides closer.

"I'm sorry," she manages to choke out.

"It's okay."

"It's not. I shouldn't…" She takes a breath. "Things are just so great the way they are."

"They are," he agrees. "Things are great between us."

"I'm sorry. It's not you, it's…"

"Regina," he says, as he reaches out and tips her chin toward him. "It's okay. Really, it is. We've said a hundred times it was just a formality. I love the life we have together—I love you."

"I am sorry," she says, her breath catching in her throat.

"Don't apologize. Please, don't apologize." He strokes his fingers against her cheek and even in the darkness she can see his reassuring smile. "I didn't even plan to ask, I just…said it and…" He sighs. "Come here…" He pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her as her head nestles against his shoulder—and she wonders if she's just ruined everything they've fought so hard to have.


	7. Chapter 7: On Solid Ground

Regina blinks up at the darkened ceiling and takes a breath, turning her head on the pillow and a sad smile stretches across her lips as she looks at Robin beside her. Reaching out she runs her fingers against his stubbly cheek and sighs as she feels a swirl of mixed emotion swelling in her chest.

Happiness was always something that eluded her and most of the glimpses she had of it were from the outside looking in—and when it was really hers, she was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, always waiting for that moment when it would snatched away. Inevitably, it always was—except in the times when she was the one who pushed it away. She takes another breath and she hears his voice echoing in her ears, him saying that he wished he could call her his wife and again, she feels the churning at her core, and wishes that she felt differently. Taking a short breath, she swallow the lump at the back of her throat and hopes that she's not a disappointment to him because what they have together is more than she ever dared to hope for and losing it would be her undoing.

Ellie's cries interrupt her thoughts, though they're barely muffled whimpers. On another morning, she might wait to see if Ellie tired herself out and went back to sleep, but this isn't any other morning and she's glad for the distraction, glad to have something to think about other than all of the ways she can dismantle her own happiness.

Carefully, she pulls away from Robin, adjusting his arm to the space beside her before sliding from the warm bed, groaning a little as the cool morning air surrounds her. She reaches for her robe and knots it at the waist, quickly making her way toward Ellie's nursery. When she arrives she finds the little girl standing in her crib, her arms outstretched as she marches in place, whimpering impatiently as Regina comes into view. Regina smiles as she lifts her and immediately Ellie's hands press against her shoulders and her cheek at her chest. She cuddles her closer, wrapping her arms tightly around her as she starts to sway, cradling and rocking, as Ellie continues to fuss.

"Oh my princess," she murmurs, as her hand feels over Ellie's pajama-covered diaper. "I know…I know…it's not fair when we wake up before we're ready." She lays her back on the changing table, unsnapping her pajamas and grinning as Ellie distracts herself with her foot. She tickles the bottom as she reaches for a clean diaper and Ellie giggles, then lets out a muffled cry at the loss of contact. "Shhh, I know, princess," she says. "We're almost done."

When Ellie's pajamas are snapped back into place she lifts her from the changing table and cuddles her against her chest as they make their way to the glider. She reaches for Ellie's duck as they pass the crib, and together they settle on the glider. Regina strokes her hand through Ellie's hair, winding her fingers though her loose curls as Ellie chews on her duck's bill. Suddenly, her eyes begin to droop and she's somewhat aware when the glider stops moving as she drifts toward the sleep that's evaded her all night.

"Boo!" She hears Ellie's voice before she feels her hands on her cheeks. "Boo!"

Her eyes flutter open to see Ellie kneeling on her lap, the girl's small hands on her cheeks and pressing at her eyes. She smiles and pulls her hands away, kissing Ellie's fingers as she giggles. When she looks up, Robin is sitting on the ottoman in front of her, the baby monitor in one hand as his other hand rubs over her knee.

She offers him a meek smile as she readjusts Ellie on her lap, "What time is it?"

"Four forty-five."

She swallows and sighs, and her eyes fall to her knee, watching as his finger tips slide against the bare skin. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"You didn't wake me," he says easily. "Our daughter did. She's been babbling for awhile." When she doesn't look up, he slides forward until his knees are touching hers and his hand slides further up her leg. "You're upset," he concludes with a sigh. She shakes her head, but still doesn't look up—she's never been a very convincing actress, so she doesn't try to pretend. Instead, she stays quiet. "I upset you."

"It's not you."

"But it's what I said last night," he says with a sigh. "It was thoughtless and…"

"No," she cuts in, finally looking up at him. "It wasn't thoughtless."

His head tips to the side and he looks doubtfully back at her. He leans in, letting his hand slide up her thigh as he presses his lips to her cheek and pulls Ellie from her lap. She watches as he settles the baby in her crib, tucking her blanket around her and giving her a new pacifier as she tucks her duck beneath her arm and snuggles in contently. Her breath catches at the back of her throat as he turns back to her. He sits down on the ottoman and slides forward until they're knee-to-knee, and then he smiles.

"It was thoughtless. I got caught up in a moment, and…I said it without thinking. We've never talked about marriage and any time we've mentioned it, it's been about how much of a formality it would be and how unnecessary it seems, given our life together." He takes a breath and reaches for her hand, and she watches as he laces his fingers though hers. "And I love the life we have together."

She looks back at him, "Are you sure you don't want…more?"

"More?" He asks with a hint of a laugh behind his voice. "Oh, love. No…" He sighs as his thumb rubs at the base of her wrist. "Yes, I do believe that marriage is a beautiful expression of love, but not the only expression of love and it's not for everyone."

"But it was for you, before me."

She watches as he hesitates and just as she's about to drop her eyes away, he smiles and he nods. "It was, once. But that was completely different—a different time and a different place with two entirely different people." He gives her hand a soft squeeze. "I am not the same man who married Marian—which is probably a good thing because I don't think you would have liked him very much." At that, she feels a grin tug at one corner of her mouth. "I don't need you to have my name or wear my ring to know that we're committed to each other. Regina, I am in this for the long haul—so long as you'll have me."

She nods slightly as her grin widens and he offers her his own smile as he leans in closer. "I'm sorry," she murmurs, "For…"

"Don't. Don't apologize. There's nothing to apologize for," he interjects softly. "Come on. Let's get you back to bed," he murmurs as he tugs her up from the glider and slips his arm around her. Her head instinctively falls to his shoulder as they slowly walk to their bedroom.

"Hey," she breathes out as she turns in his arms and links her arms around his neck, smiling when his arms circle around her waist. "I'm in this for the long haul, too. You know that, right?"

"I do," he tells her with a confident nod as he leans in to kiss her with a kiss that's sweet and fleeting, and gives her the assurance she needs.

When she finally makes her way downstairs, it's well-past nine. She can hear voices and laughter coming from the kitchen, and when she reaches the kitchen, she can't help the smile that stretches across her lips—and her first thought is how much she loves them. Henry and Roland are perched on stools with Ellie between them in her high-chair as Robin makes breakfast. She can tell it's been a messy process—there are bowls in the sink, cartons of fruit sit atop the counter and there is a splotch of forgotten batter forgotten by the stove. She watches as Henry drops a few blueberries on Ellie's tray and she pouts, watching as Robin flips two hot pancakes onto her brothers' plates.

"Hey mom," Henry calls, as he looks up and reaches for the syrup.

"Nice of you to join us," Robin says, grinning as she comes into the kitchen and sits on a stool beside Henry. He hands her a plate and kisses her cheek. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did…"

"I don't think you've ever slept this late," Henry blinks. "It's almost ten."

"I know, it was…a nice change," she tells him, as she catches Robin's grin as he pours more batter into the pan and her thoughts drift back to early that morning. She remembers the way his lips had sucked gently at her neck while his fingers unknotted her robe and pushed it from her shoulders and she remembers how he'd knelt beside her as she laid on the bed, his fingers working over her back and shoulders, rubbing and squeezing as he lips tailed intermittent kisses over her skin until she'd finally drifted to sleep.

She watches as he flips the pancake and then she turns her attention back to the boys. "How was your sleepover?"

Roland blinks up from his pancake and nods, "It was fun. We played superheroes."

"Yeah?" She asks, reaching out and wiping a smudge of syrup from his cheek. "Which one were you."

"Hawkeye," he says. "'Cause I know how to use a bow and arrow."

"Hawkeye is my favorite, too," Regina says with a grin. "And also because I have a think for bows and arrows."

"Moooom," Henry groans as he scrunches his nose and stabs his fork into a strawberry. "Seriously?"

"What?" Regina asks with an innocent shrug. "He's always been my favorite."

Henry rolls her eyes and she laughs as Robin drops two pancakes onto her plate. He plates two of his own and sits down beside her, and again she finds herself smiling as Henry and Roland slip into a playful debate about the merits and accomplishments of superheroes while Ellie attempts to levitate a blueberry, laughing at rises and frowning as it falls. A smile twists onto her lips as Robin stabs his fork into one of the sliced apples on her plate and she looks up at him to find his blue eyes sparkling—he looks happy, she thinks—and then she realizes, so is she.

In spite of herself, she's happy—and she can't help but wonder why it leaves an ache in her chest.

She laughs as Roland runs past her, his lips barely grazing her cheek as she bends to kiss him before he clatters out the door behind Henry, more than excited to be joining Henry and Tiana at the park—and likely a little afraid of being forgotten.

"I'm glad Henry invited him," Regina says, as the front door slams and her eyes shift to Robin, who is chuckling softly at the whirlwind that's just passed through the living room. "I know he's been feeling a little left out since Henry's starting hanging out with Tiana."

"He's not used to having to share his Henry," Robin says, glancing up at her as he blows a raspberry on the bottom of Ellie's foot. Ellie's laugh rings out and she kicks her feet as Robin scoops her up and pecks at her chubby cheeks, again glancing at sideways at Regina. "And I'd venture that that makes two of you."

She slides down onto the floor behind him and cocks her head, "Two of us?"

"Yes. Two of you going through Henry withdrawals," Robin says as Ellie continues to laugh. "Perhaps you and Roland should form a little support group," he teases.

"That's quite unnecessary," she says with a roll of her eyes.

"You like her though, right?"

"I do. I even suggested that Henry invite her to dinner so she can actually try my lasagna instead of just hearing about it." A slight smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. "He looked horrified at the prospect, but I think he's going to ask her."

"Your lasagna may even be worth the inevitable interrogation."

"I'm not going to interrogate the poor girl. I really do like her."

"I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about Roland," he says with a sigh, shaking his head another, softer smile forms on his lips. "You know, this might sound crazy, but sometimes I forget that they haven't always had each other."

"That doesn't sound crazy at all," she replies, watching as Ellie rests her head on his shoulder and bats her eyelashes, and in that moment, she looks so much like Robin with her wide blue eyes and sweet dimpled smile. Regina smiles as Ellie cuddles closer to him, her small hands clutching his shirt as he presses another kiss against her cheek—such a daddy's girl, she thinks. Reaching out, she strokes her fingers up Ellie's arm and her fingers twirl through one of her loose curls that suddenly look decidedly redder. "Sometimes it's easy to…forget."

"You know, I see you in her."

"You…do?" She asks, her eyes darting up to meet his, finding them easy and soft, shining back at her in a way that makes her heart flutter and swell. "You see me in her?"

"Just as I see you in Henry," Robin nods and rubs his fingers absently over her knee as a small smile stretches over his lips. "I see it when she gets mad…

"Oh great. You see my temper in her."

"No," he laughs. "Not exactly."

"Then what?"

"When she's mad," he begins again, "She takes these short little huffy breaths. You do that, too."

He shoulders straighten and she catches her bottom lip between her teeth as she tries not to smile. "We are not huffy."

"You're doing it right now," Robin says, clearly amused by her struggle against her smile. She bats her hand against his forearm and he laughs out before leaning in for a quick kiss—eliciting an unsatisfied little grunt and a loud sigh from Ellie before her bottom lip juts out in a pout, innocently proving her father's point. "See?" He asks, his eyebrow arching, "Like mother, like daughter—and I couldn't be prouder."

Finally, she gives into her smile, letting it warm her cheeks as she watches Robin lifts Ellie as he tips back against the couch and playfully nibbles at her cheek. Again, her little laugh rings out and Regina feels a fluttering in her chest.

It's strange to think that this little girl—with all the sweetness and light she's brought into their lives—was meant to tear them apart. Reaching out, she stokes two fingers over the bottom of Ellie's foot, her smile deepening as Ellie's head falls back to look at her. A lopsided and mostly toothless smile looks back at her as Ellie's eyelashes flutter.

"Mama," she says, waving across the short distance.

Regina waves back, her eyes shifting briefly to Robin as he continues to strum his fingers up and down Ellie's back, and finds herself thinking of that day in the park, the day Zelena's plan shifted into motion. It seems so long ago that she and Robin sat together on that park bench, her heart beating faster and faster as she realized the meaning of his words, the meaning of his choice—and then, just as life had taught her to expect, it was ripped away only moments later.

But then, life had thrown her another unexpected curve, and suddenly Robin was back in her life and they were presented with another choice and it made her doubt all the other lessons life had taught her.

"Can I…ask you something?" She tentatively asks as his eyes shift up to meet hers. She takes a breath and tries to push away the dull, but panging guilt at her core. "Why did you want to marry Marian?"

"Regina…"

"I'm serious," she says, her voice urging him. "I want to know."

"You want to know about why I wanted to marry Marian," he states, his eyes skeptical as they search hers.

She nods, "Well, obviously you loved her, but…" She smiles, trying to make him see that this isn't a 'her-versus-me' question, that there's no jealousy or envy, no comparisons drawn, and the question isn't even really about Marian, it's about him and her only motive is to better understand him. "Why marry her?"

He hesitates for a moment, narrowing his eyes as he considers. "I…I liked who I was when I was with her," he says finally. "I liked the man she made me. I was better with her than without and…it just felt right. We felt right." A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth—and she enjoys that the question has brought back happy memories for him. "We were partners in every sense of the word. It was us against the world, and…and I liked our odds."

Again she finds herself nodding as a soft grin stretches over her lips—and she thinks of how different his experience with marriage was from hers and how differently he thinks of it—a partnership rather than ownership. And she wonders if, perhaps, this isn't another one of life's lessons that she's gotten wrong.

"Why?" He asks, as he shifts Ellie up against his chest as her hooded eyes close. "Is this about last night? Because if it is, you need to know that just because something was right for me and Marian doesn't mean it's what's right for us." He smiles as he reaches out covers her hand with his and she feels her breath catch in her chest. "I meant what I said this morning—just because what you and I have together is different, it doesn't mean it's less." He leans into her, capturing her lips between his, and offering her soft, sweet kiss as his fingers slide through her hair. The kiss is without intention, only serving her purpose of comfort—and it helps.

When she pulls back, his lips try to follow, not wanting to break the kiss and not ready for their moment to end. She laughs a little, leaning in and pecking his lips before resting her forehead against his. "I have to go into my office for a little bit."

"But it's Sunday…"

"I know, but you know better than anyone I spent the majority of Friday not working."

He grins, "Oh. Yeah…" He chuckles softly. "That's right, and…that's my fault."

"I won't be long," she tells him, again pecking his lips. "There are just a few that I need to finish up before Monday."

"And then I'll have you all to myself?"

"And then you'll have me," she confirms, yet again leaning in for an all too quick kiss as her hand slides against the bottom of Ellie's foot. "I'll be back before nap time is over." She offers him one more fleeting kiss before she's up and out the door—and her mayoral duties are the last thing on her mind.

"Do you think it's possible that I'm trying to sabotage my life?" Regina asks as soon as the door opens, barely glancing up from the storybook that's splayed open on her desk. From the corner of her eye, she catches Mary-Margaret's eyebrow raise as she closes the door.

"Is that…my wedding story?"

"Yeah," Regina replies, again, not looking up, instead, letting her eyes wander over the details of the image, realizing just how many of the little details from the moment she missed, despite having stood before them in the actual scene. "You were protecting him. I…didn't notice that before…the way you stepped in front of him."

Mary-Margaret slips into one of the chairs across from her desk and leans forward, offering a hint of a smile as she looks down at the open page. "I was," she confirms. "Though, I don't really know what I thought that sword was going to do to you if you'd really been there to harm us."

Regina's eyes jump to Mary-Margaret and a slow smirk stretches across her lips, "Well, you always did have a tendency not to fully think things through…which is probably something you learned from me." She pauses and takes a breath as her eyes fall back to the page, her finger running over the place where Snow White's hand touches Prince Charming's wrist—such a subtle yet meaningful show of affection. "But you were still able to be happy, in spite of it." She looks up, "In spite of everything."

Mary-Margaret's brow furrows deeper, "Regina, what's going on? Is this about Zelena?"

"No," she's quick to say. "That's…still at a stalemate and the longer it lasts, the less inclined Robin and I are to let her back in to Ellie's life. It appears she's made her choice, and we've made ours." She smiles softly, somewhat surprised at what a relief it is to say those words aloud, outside of a conversation with Robin—how freeing even just the possibility of a life without Zelena's presence feels. "But, this isn't about Zelena."

"Then…."

"I don't think I know how to be happy," she says simply, shrugging her shoulders as she turns the pages of the storybook to her own story—or her almost-story with Robin. She looks down at the page, focusing on the fear in her eyes as she remembers the churning feeling in her stomach—how fear had pushed the air from her lungs, choking her and making it impossible to breathe, how her heart had beat so fast it felt like it might explode in her chest and how the little voice at the back of her head reminder her that love only brought pain. But what she remembers most clearly is the aching relief that had washed over her as she ran further and further from the tavern, convincing herself that she'd saved herself from yet another loss of love—a defense mechanism she'd learn to rely on.

"That was a long time ago, Regina," Mary-Margaret says in a soft voice. "And you found him again. Everything worked out in the end."

There's a long and hesitant pause as Regina's eyes shift back at Mary-Margaret. "Last night, Robin…told me that he wished he could call me his wife."

Mary-Margaret's eyes widen, "He proposed?"

"Not exactly. He…might have been about to, and…and I did what I always do. I pushed him away."

"Oh, Regina…"

"I just froze and all I could think of was how I didn't want things to change. I didn't want us to change. I didn't want…"

"To be married to him?"

With a sigh, she looks back to the storybook and thinks of the alternate version, the version in which she chose love and happiness and she wonders what it would have been like, to live a lifetime with him in that former life. "I…don't know."

"You don't know what, Regina?"

"I don't know if I don't want to marry him. I love him and I know that he loves me, and…our life together is martial in every way expect legally." She looks up and offers a sheepish grin, "Which is ironic, considering I am the law." She shrugs her shoulders, "I guess I'm just not very good at being happy."

"Well, it's hard to be good at something you haven't had much practice at," Mary-Margaret says gently, reaching out and covering her with hers, and it surprises her when she doesn't pull away. When she looks up, Mary-Margaret is looking at her with sweet, kind eyes that remind her so much of the ten-year-old girl she'd saved all those years before, and she smiles, glad that that little girl's faith in her has remained. "I know you're not one for hope speeches…"

"You really do work for the Hope Commission, don't you?"

A coy smirk forms over Mary-Margaret's lips, "Well, the Commission is offering a rebate—a quarter back—if you can honestly answer one question."

"Just one question? No speech?" Regina says with a slight laugh. "I guess it's my lucky day."

Her expression turns serious and Regina feels her own smile fade and her heart flutters nervously. "Regina, do you believe you deserve to be happy?"

"I…want to be happy."

"That's not what I asked." She feels herself begin to withdraw as she leans back in the chair, but before she can pull her hand from Mary-Margaret's, Mary-Margaret's grip tightens and the contact remains. "I asked if you think you deserve to be happy?"

Her cheeks flush a little and she averts the other woman's eyes and once again, the ache of guilt stabs at her heart—because as much as she wants to be happy, wanting something and deserving it are two very different things. But in spite of the guilt, she nods. "I do."

"I do, too," Mary-Margaret says, grinning as Regina looks back at her. "I watched the light slowly fade out of you once. I'm so glad that I've gotten to watch it come back to you." Again, she squeezes her hand and her smile deepens, "You've earned this, Regina. You just have to decide what will make you happy, and go for it—really go for it. No one foot in and one foot out, but totally and completely in because that's the only way you're going to really enjoy it and you owe it to yourself to enjoy it."

"I thought you said you weren't going to give me a hope speech."

"Well, sometimes I just can't help myself," Mary-Margaret says with a soft chuckle. "And this one was free of charge."

Regina laughs and covers her other hand over Mary-Margaret's. She takes a long breath and swallows hard, pushing away painful memories of Leopold and of Cora, the doubt that Rumplestiltskin planted in her subconscious and the blame she placed on her own shoulders for the cards that life dealt her.

"What if…"

"No. No doubting," Mary-Margaret interjects. "There's no hope in doubt."

With a nod, Regina inhales a sharp breath as she looks back to the page and she can't help but think of what a constant he's been in her life—even when he was just a possibility. He'd never pressured her, never pushed for more than she was ready to give. When they met that first time, he'd offered her his hand and in doing so had offered her an extension of support she'd so rarely encountered. She'd actively tried to push it away, but he never wavered and he trusted her, even when she'd given him every reason not to. When they met again in Storybrooke, he'd been so patient, letting her come to terms with her feelings, patiently waiting and letting their relationship progress on her terms; and when things became truly complicated, instead of backing away, he'd adjusted his entire life to fit into hers.

He was everything she'd never had, everything she'd always wanted.

She finds him in the kitchen, staring skeptically at the food-processer as he rolls a blueberry against the cutting board. She pushes herself into the kitchen and takes a short breath before smiling as she watches him, always finding his struggles with modernity terribly endearing. Leaning up on her toes, she kisses his cheek, laughing as it startles him and brings him into the moment with her.

"I didn't hear you come in," he says, turning toward her as his hand slips around her waist.

Her breath catches and she grins, her stomach fluttering with nervously excited anticipation. "I'm going to ask you something and I want you to give me an honest answer."

"Okay," he says, tipping his head in curiosity.

"Do you want to marry me?"

"Regina…"

"Answer the question. You said you would."

"I thought we talked through this this morning."

"We did," she's quick to say. "But I think it's a topic that deserves…revisiting."

Robin's palm presses into the small of her back as draws her closer, smiling sweetly as he leans in and kisses her cheek. "I love you and I'm happy with the life we're sharing together."

"But is it enough?" She asks, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. "Could you be happier?" He offers her an exasperated sigh in reply as his fingers rub absently against the silky fabric of her shirt. "So, I'm going to ask again—do you want to marry me?" He blinks a few times and she can see him hesitating. "Please?"

"Fine," he says slowly, his eyes locked into hers. "The answer is…yes. Yes, I want to marry you."

"Okay, then," she breathes out as a slow smile stretches across her lips. "Then let's do it. Let's get married."

"Regina, you don't have to…"

"I know," she interjects, suddenly feeling so sure of her choice. "That's why I want to."

"You…want to?"

"I want to marry you, too." His smile explodes, stretching across his lips and shining through his eyes. "I want to marry you, Robin," she tells him again as he pulls her up against him, lifting her in his arms. Her arms link around his shoulders and she laughs out, burying her face in the crook of his neck as he spins her.

He sets her down on the counter and the back of her fingers rub over his stubbly cheek, her heart feeling light as he leans in to kiss her. His tongue parts the seam of her lips and his hand tangles in her hair, as her arms fold around him, drawing him closer as they lose themselves in the kiss.

She's dizzy as she pulls back and her cheeks flush when he leans back in, recapturing her lips between his as he pulls her up against his chest. She smiles against his mouth and her hand slowly pushes between them, breaking the kiss. He blinks at her a couple of times, watching as she slides off the counter and takes his hand. His fingers fold around hers as she leads him through the kitchen.

"As much as I would love to see where this goes…"

"I think it's pretty obvious where it's going."

Again, her cheeks flush and she takes a breath, "Eventually, maybe, but there's something we need to do first." His eyebrows arch and she leads him toward the living room, stopping just shy of the entrance way. "I've wasted a lot of time trying to figure out what I want and you've been so patient and wonderful and…" She shrugs. "I don't want to waste anymore time."

She waves her hand and for a moment, all either of them can see is purple. But when she smoke settles, they're wearing new clothes—him in a suit and tie, her in a cream-colored dress. He looks around them and the living room door slowly opens and the scent of roses consumes them. She watches as he takes it in—the flowers and candles, a glowing fire in the hearth and Mary-Margaret standing before it. A few close friends are seated in linen-wrapped chairs—David, with Neal on his lap, Killian and Emma beside them and on the opposite side of the aisle the Merry Men. Slowly, he looks back at her and when he does, she cans see that there are tears in his eyes.

"You…did all of this?"

"I had some help."

"We're ready when you are," Henry says as he comes down the stairs with his siblings—Henry and Roland wear matching ties with roses pinned to their lapels and Ellie is wearing a new dress and there is a flower clipped in her hair. Regina smiles at the three of them, all wearing broad excited smiles—and for a moment, she can't help but think how proud she is that they're hers.

Robin takes a breath and she sees it catch at the back of his throat. "I've never been more ready," he answers quietly as he leans in and kisses her cheek. Henry, Roland and Ellie proceed into the living room as his lips linger against her cheek, his warm breath against her lips as he gives her hand a soft squeeze. "You…really want this?" He asks once more as his eyes meet hers.

She nods and pecks, smiling as she tugs his hand as they turn toward the living room, laughing as Ellie plucks a petal from Henry's rose and bites into it, her face immediately scrunching as she spits it out and then plucks another.

"I really do," she says, as she offers him her arm, and together they walk down the aisle—and for the first time, she feels as if she's really on solid ground.

Regina cuddles closer and presses her lips to his bare chest. His arm folds around her, holding her close to him as his fingers trail slowly up and down the length of her spine. She cuddles closer and sighs, sated and content, as she listens to the rhythmic beat of his heart.

Her hand rubs absently against his chest and thin gold band around her finger catches her eye, eliciting yet another smile as she thinks back to the small, intimate ceremony that evening, when they'd stood together in front of their closest friends and family and said their vows, committing themselves to one another. They'd said the traditional vows—for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer—yet, they'd seemed so personal, so fitting. Together, they'd been though it all already and they'd survived, and they were stronger because of it.

Mary-Margaret had pronounced them married at the end of it, and they'd kissed—not just in a quick, celebratory way, but in a way that was wrought with emotion, in a way that made her weak in the knees and made her heart flutter with lightness, in a way that made her know that everything was going to be okay, simply because they had each other. There had been a time when that feeling would have frightened her, a time when she'd look for something to ground her and bring her back to reality; but that time had passed and with him, she was more than willing to embrace the unknown of what was to come—as long as they had each other.

"Do you feel different?" She murmurs, tilting her head up and resting her chin on his chest. He reaches out and runs his fingers though the front of her hair, tucking it behind her ear and slowly letting his fingers fall to her cheek. Grinning, she turns her cheek in his hand, nuzzling against his palm as she kisses his fingers. "Do we feel different?"

"Because we're married now?"

"Yeah…"

He takes a breath and caresses his thumb over the curve of her chin. "I…don't know," he tells her as a grin tugs at one corner of his mouth. "I think we still feel like us."

"I think so, too," she murmurs, as she leans back in and drops another kiss on his chest. "I'm glad we don't' feel different." She grins as her eyes cast upward to meet this. "Because I like us."

He chuckles softly as he hugs her closer. "What changed you mind? This morning you were so sure."

"I wasn't sure this morning," she tells him as her hand rubs absently against his shoulder. "This morning was…a reaction. And, I've spent so much of my life reacting to things, letting my past decide my future." She pauses. "And then I realized that wasn't fair—not to you, not to our family, not to me." Taking a breath, she feels her smile forming as thinks about the life they've built together. "We deserve better than that and I was tired of standing in the way."

He leans down and kisses her hair. "Just having you was always enough," he murmurs as his fingers swirl between her shoulder blades. "Though, I can't say I'm not thrilled about this recent turn of events, you had always been enough."

She lifts her head and smiles faintly, the panic she'd felt that morning seeming like such a distant memory. Drawing herself up, she pushes herself up and hovers over him, her smile deepening as she takes his lips in hers, offering him a kiss that's soft and sweet, and full of love and gratitude. His hands continue to wander over her, swirling and caressing over warm skin, as they kiss; and when she pulls back, his lips settle on her neck.

"We should have taken Emma up on her offer…"

He laughs against her skin, pulling away as his eyebrow arches, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," she says, grinning as his eyes glitter. "It might have been nice to have the house all to ourselves tonight…and tomorrow morning."

"We still have hours before Ellie wakes up."

"Yeah," she nods, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. "And it will be nice having a breakfast with them—our first official family breakfast."

"We've always been a family," he says, grinning as he drops a kiss against her forehead. "I'm not supposed to tell you, but the boys are making us waffles—breakfast in bed."

"I'm glad you did," she says, her eyes widening.

But before she can continue with the thought, Robin reaches around her and pulls an envelope from the nightstand. "Oh, I almost forgot," he murmurs as he hands her the envelope. "This came today."

Her eyebrow arches curiously and turns in his arms so that she's sitting beside him up against the pillows. "Wedding present?"

Robin shakes his head, "I think it's from Zelena, and since it's addressed to both of us, I figured we'd open it together."

"Oh…"

"Sorry to…kill the mood," he murmurs as her finger lifts the flap and she wonders if her sister will manage to sour a perfectly wonderful evening. "But since we were drifting toward the topic of uncomfortable surprises, I…"

"…was reminded." She sighs and unfolds the letter and Robin's arm slides tight around her shoulders, and together they scan the contents of Zelena's letter.

"She's…leaving," Robin murmurs after a few minutes have passed. "She's going back to Oz?"

"Yeah," Regina nods, looking over at him. "Ellie is…all ours."

A slow smile stretches over his lips, "She's always been ours."

Regina nods and looks back to the green ink on the parchment, "She thinks that you and I are Ellie's best chance. I just…can't believe after…" She shakes her head as her voice trails off. Folding up the letter and tucking it back into the envelope. "Well, regardless, this possibly the first sensible thing she's ever said."

"About this situation? It definitely is."

"I know we'd already decided that this was it, but I'm glad she ultimately made the choice and not us."

"Today is just full of all sorts of wonderful surprises," he tells her as he presses a kiss against her temple. She cuddles into his side and stretches her arm across his abdomen, hugging herself closer to him. He kisses her again before resting his head atop hers. "Are you okay?" He asks after awhile. "I know how much you wanted to save her relationship with Ellie."

She takes a breath and nods, "Yeah, I'm fine, and I think I wanted it for all the wrong reasons."

"I don't know about that," he murmurs back. She lifts her head and looks at him, her eyes searching his as she thinks of all they've endured—together and apart—at Zelena's hand, and she wonders how he can be so forgiving—not just of Zelena, but of her. "You know," he begins, as a smile stretches over his lips. "Earlier today, you asked me why I wanted to marry Marian."

"I remember," she says with a nod.

"But you never asked why I wanted to marry you."

She blinks a couple of times, watching as his blue eyes glimmer like he has a secret that he just can't wait to tell. She grins as he turns to her, reaching out and tucking a few straying strands of hair behind her ear. His fingers comb through her hair, grazing against her cheek.

"I told you that I liked who I was when I was with her." She nods, remembering. "I wanted to get something right when I married her, but I didn't always live up to that—to the man I should have been, the man I wanted to be—not even after we married, not after Roland…" His voice trails off for a moment and she knows the painful memories to which he's referring. Reaching out, she brushes her fingers against his cheek both in comfort and understanding. "And with you, I've finally gotten that something right."

"A second chance."

"Yeah," he murmurs as he pulls her hand away from his face, kissing her palm before his fingers lace through hers. "I've spent my whole life looking for adventure, looking for a place where I belonged, and that always seemed so contradictory, so elusive." Taking breath, he smiles. "And then I met you and…"

"Everything just fell into place."

"Exactly," he says with a nod. "You're home to me, Regina—you and the kids—you're home, and every day when I wake up, I just can't wait to see what new adventure the day will bring us."

She feels her breath catch in her throat and a swell of emotion rises in her chest—and suddenly, she's at a loss for words. With tears welling in her eyes, she leans in and captures his lips between hers. Her tongue swirls imploringly around his as his hands find her hips and he shifts her into his lap. She pulls back for a moment, letting the blanket fall away from her as she rests her forehead against his, watching as licks his lips in anticipation of what's to come. Leaning back in, she closes the gap between them, smiling against his mouth as she thinks of all of the adventures the future will bring them, assured that wherever life take them, they'll go together and they'll always be home.


	8. Chapter 8: All Yours

Regina smiles as she steps into the kitchen, watching as Robin dips a spoon past Ellie's waiting mouth and she grunts in frustration. Her little hands reach out, trying to stop the spoon from brushing past her mouth, but she's too slow and once more the spoon zips by her—and once more, she yells out and her little hands ball into fists.

"You do know the point of feeding her is to…feed her, right?"

Robin laughs, "I know that."

"Then why does it appear our daughter is fighting you for her mashed sweet potatoes?"

"Because I've found the more she has to work for her lunch the less of her lunch we end up wearing." He grins, spiraling the spoon once more past her mouth before stopping just before the little girl's mouth and laughing out as Ellie leans forward and her lips clamp down over the spoon before it disappears again. "See?"

"You do know this is why it takes Roland forty-five minutes to eat a cookie, right?"

"I see no correlation."

Rolling her eyes, Regina leans in and pecks his lips, and her thoughts drift to the night before, and the letter Zelena sent them about returning to Oz. Of all the things that she should be focusing on, her sister's departure shouldn't have even made the list; yet, she couldn't help but wonder if it were sincere. It just seemed too good to be true. "I'm going to go run an errand, okay?"

"Oh," he murmurs as his hand slides over her hip, "I was kind of hoping that once Ellie finished her lunch and was down for her nap, my beautiful wife and I might have a little…alone time."

Stretching her hand across his shoulders, she grins, "That does sound nice."

"Nice enough for you to stay?"

Regina laughs. "Nice enough for me to hurry back. Besides, at the rate lunchtime is going, I'll be back before that bowl of sweet potatoes is gone." Once more, she leans in and pecks his lips, "And when I get back, I promise, I am all yours."

A slow grin etches across his lips and he shrugs his eyebrows suggestively, "Well, then you better get going."

She nods and turns toward Ellie, laughing as the little girl licks the remaining sweet potato from the back of his the spoon then pushes the spoon back toward Robin, ready for more. Leaning in, she drops a quick kiss against Ellie's cheek. "Don't let Daddy torture you too much," she whispers, laughing as Robin's eyes roll. And as she makes her way to the front door, she hears another frustrated grunt from Ellie followed by a triumphant laugh.

It's not long before she's standing on Zelena's porch with her letter firmly in hand. She rasps on the door a few times and is greeted with an aggravated sigh.

"This won't take long," she insists as she brushes past her sister, inviting herself inside and taking a look around the farm house—it doesn't look like she's leaving, but appearances with Zelena have always been deceptive.

"It's already taken too long," Zelena groans as she shuts the door behind them. "And I really don't have time to…"

"I just want to know if this is serious." Regina says, holding up the letter. "Or is this another one of your little games?"

"I'm going back to Oz," Zelena returns in a flat voice.

"Just like that? You're just going to disappear forever?"

"Isn't that what you want?" Zelena bristles. "Isn't that what everyone wants?"

"I'm just having a difficult time believing it's what you want," Regina returns curtly. "And if I've learned anything about you, you never do anything other than what you want to do."

There's a long pause and for a moment, there's a flicker of sincerity behind Zelena's eyes and then she looks away. "You think I'd want to stay here? Watching as you raise my daughter."

"Robin and I have never tried to keep her from you."

"No, you haven't. That's true," Zelena admits as she looks back. "But the thing is watching her grow up from a distance, having little moment with her every now and then, that's not what I want either."

"So you're just…giving up on being a part of her life? That doesn't sound like you."

"Doesn't it?" Zelena scoffs. "Do you know how hard this year has been on me? From the moment I found out I was pregnant, it wasn't about me and my child, it was about him and his child. And then it was about you." There's a flicker of something else in her eye—something that looks like anger, but is too sad to actually be it and in that moment, Regina finds herself empathizing. "On the day she was born, she was placed in Robin's arms and that was it. She was his—his and yours. And for the last year and a half, I've watched the three of you become a little family. Ellie loves you. She doesn't love me."

"That's ridiculous. She's fifteen months old. She doesn't…"

"But she does." Zelena shrugs her shoulders. "A couple of weeks ago I was walking through the park and I saw you—you and Robin and the kids. Roland was swinging and Henry was pushing Ellie in the swing beside him and she was watching her brother and kicking her little legs trying to make herself go higher and faster, just like him, and…she was laughing."

"I remember that day…"

"Well, I was watching and all I could think was that she'd never laughed like that around me." Zelena shrugs her shoulders, "And then Roland jumped off the swing and Henry brought Ellie over to you and Robin, and the two of you were lying on a blanket with her, tickling her and making silly faces and I could hear her laughing again. And again, I couldn't help but think she'd never laughed like that for me. I'm not even sure I've ever made her smile—such a happy baby, and I can't even get a smile out of her."

"She is a happy girl. You just need…"

"Because of you and Robin," Zelena cuts in. "She's a happy girl because of you and Robin. Not because of me." She takes a breath. "So, yes, I am going back to Oz. And no, I am not coming back—not even for my daughter. Because the truth is, I don't have a daughter." Shrugging her shoulders, she offers a tired sigh. "I've spent a more than a year denying it, but it's true. Ellie is yours—yours and Robin's."

"Zelena…"

"Now, I have a lot to do. Opening portals to other worlds isn't exactly easy work."

With that, Regina nods—and for the first time since they met, she doesn't doubt Zelena's sincerity or her motive.

When she returns home, she finds Robin lying in bed, his back against the pillows with Ellie on his chest. Her duck is tucked tightly beneath her arm and her cheeks are red and tear-stained. Robin's hand rubs circles against her small back and she can hear him murmuring sweet nothings into her ear in an attempt to calm her.

"Is she okay?" Regina asks, kicking off her shoes and sliding into the bed with them. "Did you withhold the sweet potatoes for too long?"

"No, it wasn't that," he says as a grin tugs at the corner of his mouth. "We finished the sweet potatoes with little conflict, and then it was naptime." Robin's arm stretches across Regina's shoulders and she grins as Ellie turns to face her, her chubby cheek still pressed against Robin's chest. "So, I put her down and was cleaning up the kitchen and…and over the monitor I heard her calling for me."

"Calling for you?"

"She kept saying 'da-da' over and over again, and when I got up to the nursery, she was asleep and crying."

"Aw," Regina murmurs as she reaches out and rubs two fingers against Ellie's teary cheek. "She must have been having a nightmare."

"Yeah," Robin confirms. "I think she was."

"And she wanted you. She wanted her daddy."

Robin sighs, "Yeah…"

"Ma-ma…" Ellie murmurs in a tired voice as she reaches one arm out toward her mother. Regina can't help but laugh as Robin sighs and releases her, allowing the little girl to fall into her mother's arms. Immediately, Ellie burrows against her chest and snuggles close. "Mama," she says again, this time a little more contently.

"You know, I tried to get her to say it again—to say 'da-da' again—and I couldn't." He chuckles softly as Ellie continues to draw herself closer to her mother, her small hands clenching around Regina's shirt as she wiggles against her. "I did get a "ducky" though."

"Well, we all know Ducky is her first love."

"I don't know about that," Robin muses, as a small grin stretches across his lips. "I think you could rival Ducky for Miss Eloise's affection. She's quite a mama's girl." Peering down, Regina watches as Ellie's eyes flutter closed. She can feel her drifting off as her breathing steadies and her fingers unclench. "And as much as I would love for her to rank me above a stuffed duck, I am perfectly content coming in second to you."

"Well, we both know that's only because I don't tease her with sweet potatoes," Regina says, turning her head on the pillow to face him. "Those are her favorite."

Robin doesn't reply, he just laughs out and cuddles closer to them—and Regina can't help but feel lucky that they are hers.


	9. Chapter 9: Happy Birthday, Baby

Regina smiles as she leans over the crib, tucking her hair behind her ears before smoothing Ellie's wild red wisps. She hates to wake her–especially when she's finally slept past six and likely needs the sleep–but it's quarter after seven, and there due at Granny's at nine for a birthday breakfast with the family.

The back of her fingers brush gently against Ellie's soft, chubby cheek, and down over the fuzzy pink fabric that covers her rounded tummy–and Regina's smile warms as the little girl starts to stir. Her face scrunches as she turns her head, her legs kicking as her butt wiggles, and then a muffled little whimper escapes her. Regina tickles her and her feet kick faster, and she makes a sound that's something between a laugh and a cry.

"Good morning, Peanut," Regina coos. "Happy birthday, baby." Ellie's eyes pinch tighter as her arms flail before Regina's hands slip under her, lifting her from the crib. She grins as Ellie's eyes blink open as she cuddles against her robe, comforted by the warmth and closeness of her mother, but still not happy to be awake.

"I know, I know," Regina says in a sing-song voice as she lightly bounces her on the way to the glider. "Getting up early is never fun." Ellie looks up at her with wide blue eyes as her fingers find her mouth and she sucks lightly at them. "But today will be fun. I promise." She rubs her hand over Ellie's diapered bottom and chubby thighs, sighing wistfully as she tells her about how there will be a cake just for her and lots of presents and she'll have new toys to play with–and in that moment, she's struck by how far they've come.

A year before, she'd been so reluctant to love this little girl–a little girl she now adores, a little girl who makes her world a little brighter, a little girl who on a daily basis reminds her that good can be born out of even the bleakest of situations and reminds her of the healing power of love.

Though she never voice it, she'd wondered if she and Robin would make it–she loved him, but life had taught her that love wasn't enough–and she feared that they wouldn't make it through the storm, that he would be patient with her and give her time to adjust, not when it came to his daughter. But he had been patient, he'd understood her caution and he'd been there to help her through it–and they were stronger because of it Grinning down at Ellie, she crosses her eyes and scrunches her nose, making the little girl giggle–she'd created a bond between them that could never be broken.

Regina tickles the bottom of her foot and her laugh rings out–a laugh that never fails to bring a smile to her face and make her heart flutter with love. She continues to rock her and tells her more about the party–she tells her about the streamers and the balloons that Henry picked out and the special one that Roland picked out just for her that will be tied to the back of her highchair; she tells her about the sunny yellow party dress that she'll get to wear and she tells her how even Ducky–her favorite stuffed animal and best friend who accompanies her everywhere–will have a special bow to wear for the occasion.

And then her throat tightens and her chest constricts as she tells her that she loves her, that she's glad to have a day to celebrate her–a day to celebrate how she's blessed their lives and undoubtedly made their world better, a day to celebrate the little girl who completed their family and on a daily basis reminds them that love is most powerful magic in all the realms.


End file.
